Monster
by mysticLegend11
Summary: YuutaxOC, KiriharaxOC What happens when Kunimitsu Tezuka has a little sister? Why, the beginning of a monster legend, of course. Hey, a bit of one sided competition never killed anybody, right? Complete.
1. Kin Enters!

Look, I know how many people hate OC fics inside PoT. Shounen ai, yaoi, the classical crackfic pairings... I understand. To be honest, I was utterly shocked at the sheer number of OC stories in PoT- or rather, the dearth of it. Not all OC stories have to be paired up badly with a terribly OOC guy either. Notice there is no pairing in the summary and this story is not under Romance. 'Course, there'll be a little bit of romance -sappy ones, too- but I leave it pretty open-ended.

"I admit, usually I stay way from OC fanfictions, because usually the OC is perfect, predictable or all of the above. But yours is unusual." –Floriculture.

"It's actually not that bad... Anyway, my favorite part about this story is because it's not as cliché as all of the other OC fics. It's not 'New girl transfers from -.' nor is it 'Insertcanoncharacter's long lost (twin) sister.'" –S.P.A.M.S.P.O.T.

So, give my OC story a try. If you don't like it, I'm not on my knees beseeching you. So far, no one's flamed my story (sugoi, neh?) but that may change... soon.

So, if you've read this far, I congratulate and thank you. Don't worry, the story gets better later on. Flamers do help as well- even when they just curse randomly and half the time spell it wrong, they do help... trigger some revelations on my surprisingly long fanfic craze.

So basically, stick with me through the emotional roller coaster of the good, the horrible, the pathetic, the memorable... even the WTF-IS-SHE-ON-CRACK moments. So don't forget to check the height requirements, buckle in and enjoy the ride. (Pray that I don't leave you hanging in midair either, because it'll be nothing more than a miracle if I finish this series.)

**Disclaimer: Although I find disclaimers completely pointless and idiotic (If you were actually the creator of anything decent, you would not be writing fan fiction, especially not about your own copyrighted creation. OKAY OKAY, before anyone says anything, I know it's courtesy although stupid, hmm, yes, I know it's something for copyright issues of 'fair use' or something like that... I've always wanted to say that...) I do not own TeniPuri or any of the characters. **

Chapter One: Kin Enters!

**Inner Taro: U-.- Well, with a principal's visit, anyway. **

---Once Upon A Time---

The school bell rang as the students scrambled to their seats. "Mendokusu..." Kin muttered as the teacher called for attention, but the students, predictably, paid no heed.

"Homework out, kudasai," the teacher called and proceeded down the aisle to check the student's homework.

"Kin-chan, what did you get for number 19?" Taro asked hesitantly.

"Number 19 of what?" she mumbled.

"Why, the homework, of course," he sweatdropped.

"You see, ano, I forgot about it," she smiled, waving a peace sign. Taro nearly dropped out of his seat.

"Demo, Kin-chan, that's like, the third time this week," Taro bit his lip.

"Ah, well, when will I actually need to know the directrix of a parabola?" she shrugged. Sighing, she tilted her chair back and lifted her feet, setting them on her desk.

"TEZUKA KIN!" the teacher exploded and Kin cringed, turning around to face her fuming teacher. "PRINCIPAL'S OFFICE, NOW!"

---Later that Day---

"Chikusho... All I did was miss some homework and put my feet on the desk," she grumbled softly to herself, her bright blue eyes staring down at her hands.

"Kin, a principal's call is not trivial," her mother chastised her gently.

"Humph. They just hate me, that's all," Kin crossed her arms stubbornly, refusing to return her mother's gaze.

"Oh, Kin..." her mother sighed. _'Just because you hate them doesn't mean that they hate you too.'_ The remainder of the car drive was uneasily silent. Kin watched the neighborhood pass in a blur and suddenly the car stopped as she pulled up in the driveway.

Although her mother was completely silent, Kin knew what she was thinking: _'Why can't she be like Tezuka? Why does she have to make our lives so difficult? Perhaps it was wrong to send her to Ginka.' _

"Let me guess, onii-chan has tennis practice and otou-san is working late today," Kin predicted.

"Ah," she nodded, "Kin?"

"Ah?"

"Maybe you should join the tennis club at Ginka," her mother suggested. Kin visibly jolted the suggestion.

"What makes you say that?" she narrowed her eyes.

"Well, you're athletic and Kunimitsu could always give you a few tips," her mother suggested.

"There you go again, comparing me to onii-chan! Are you trying to humiliate me or what?" she blurted, slamming the car door as she got out.

"Kin, that's not-"

Before she could listen to any more nonsense, she ran toward the front door. 'Chikusho...' she sweatdropped, 'It's locked.'

"OJII-CHAN! OPEN UP!" she banged on the door.

"Hiya, what's all this ruckus?" her grandfather opened the door and Kin bolted up the stairs to her room. There was a lump in her throat, but she blinked the tears back.

"Tezuka, Tezuka..." she mimicked, "Why does everyone compare me to him?"

---At Night---

_"Did you see that freshman? He's amazing! He's defeated everyone in the club- with his right hand! What a prodigy," the Seigaku tennis member exclaimed. _

_"Oi, girl, are you the ball retriever? Go get the ball!" he exclaimed, waving at a young Kin. _

_"I'm not-" Everything became muffled as the world dimmed around her and a cacophony of voices inundated her young, innocent self. _

_--- _

_"Look at him, isn't he so kawaii?" the girls giggled, admiring his calm composure. _

_"He's always so serious. And that stern look, doesn't he ever smile?" _

_"Well, that's why he's Kantou's number one tennis player, well, at least for middle school anyway. Oh my god, he's looking at me! How do I look?" The small clique of popular girls exclaimed, giggled and flirted with the tennis club from afar. _

_--- _

_"Kin isn't the same as our Kunimitsu," Ayana's voice echoed, "Kin, why don't you look up to your big brother for once? Improve your grades rather than slack off, and join a club rather than sit home all day?" _

_--- _

_"Sugoi! Sugoi! He's now the president of the Seigaku's tennis club! It's our year now!" they laughed. _

_Tezuka walked further and further away, his silhouette joined by others, his friends, his comrades who he would follow him the entire journey. His presence grew fainter and fainter, until he was only a dot in the wide horizon. Kin tried to run to him, call his name, do something, but her tongue formed no words and her legs were ingrained to the ground. _

_"Onii-chan..." Kin fell to her knees, "Come back." _

_--- _

_"Kin's grades are dropping dramatically," the teacher whispered to her mother, "Perhaps it's wise to enroll her in a private school." _

_"Hai, demo, I'm not sure we can afford it," her mother sighed. _

_"Well, her brother does attend Seigaku, right? She can be a scholarship student if she works hard enough..." _

_The inundation of cacophonic voices poured through her. These words were from the inner recesses of her mind that had haunted her for years without end. _

_She couldn't stand it any longer. She knew that these were her most annoying, obstinate fears that were indelibly engraved into her soul, and these fears were her alone to conquer. _

_"DAMARE!"_

"Nani?" she whispered._ 'I hate nightmares.' _The pale moonlight fell through the transparent curtains and onto Tezuka's tennis racket.

_"Maybe you should join the tennis club at Ginka." _

"Tennis, eh?" Her lip curled and she closed her eyes, slowly settling into sleep.

Mendokusu- How troublesome.

Onii-chan- Older brother.

Otou-san- Dad.

Ojii-chan- Grandfather.

Damare- Shut up.


	2. Kin's Own Identity

My beta's name is Lieyan, and I thank her greatly for her help to better this story.

Last night I couldn't sleep for hours because I was concocting ideas for the sequel. The sequel! This story's got to be at least 20 chapters long. I mean, seriously, I was like envisioning my story between hazy dreams.

Chapter Two: Kin's Own Identity

**Inner Taro: U-.- That's what I've been trying to tell her the entire time, but she won't listen to me...**

---Next Day---

"Kin, aren't you going to finish your breakfast?" her mother called from the kitchen. Trying desperately to swallow a mouthful of eggs, only gibberish escaped.

"Ja ne!" their father waved before speeding out the door.

"Matte!" Kin called. Her eyes darted, making sure no one would catch her, and swiped Tezuka's racket near the door. She bolted out the door, hugging the racket and disappeared around the corner.

"Kin, Matte!" her mother called, holding a lunch bag. "Kunimitsu, can you do me a favor? Kin forgot her lunch again. I made her favorite, dango."

Tezuka didn't want to waste his lunch today- the regulars tournament was coming up and as captain, he was busier than ever. He blinked at the door numerous times, looking around. "I swear I left my racket here."

"Oi, you're her brother," his mother thrust it into Tezuka's hands and smiled. "Arigatou gozaimasu. You don't want Kin to starve, do you?"

---At Lunch---

Kin's stomach rumbled noisily.

"Uh, Kin-chan?" Taro sweatdropped at the sight of Kin drooling viciously at his sushi.

"That looks good," she stared.

"Y-you can have one if you like," he chuckled nervously.

"Hontou? No kidding?"

"Go ahead," he smiled at her reinvigorated bright blue eyes and shoulder-long brown hair. 'Kin-chan's always so cute.' He blushed furiously when he realized the thought.

"Neh, oi, Kin-chan..." He gaped in sheer amazement at his empty lunch box. "You ate all my sushi in seconds..."

"Nawuzkma?" she mumbled, chewing furiously while popping sushi into her mouth left and right. She burped loudly after she finished and fell into her seat, dozing.

**Inner Taro: U-.- She's not cute, she's a monster.**

---Meanwhile---

"Suminasen, do you know where Tezuka Kin is?" Tezuka stepped into the hallway.

"Suminasen?" the lady turned to him, smiling brilliantly.

"Can you please tell me-" Tezuka started, holding up a brown lunch bag.

A girl screamed from the other side of the hallway, pointing accusingly at Tezuka. "Isn't that Tezuka Kunimitsu?"

"Sugoi! It's really him!" the girl exclaimed, looking as if she just won a million dollars.

"Nan-" he muttered before fan girls crowded around him, climbing over each other for a sight of him.

---After School---

"Yosh! Come on, Taro-chan, let's go join the tennis club!" she exclaimed, stretching and yawning from her brief snooze in seventh period.

"Tennis?" Taro repeated, gaping at her, genuinely worried. He touched her forehead, checking for a fever.

"What are you doing, Taro-chan?" she blinked innocently.

"Well, you're not sick," he frowned, "AAAHHHH! You alien from Mars! Give me back Kin!" He made a scary face, trying to muster his courage.

"Baka," she sighed, "Let's go." Grabbing by his ear, she dragged him behind the school towards the tennis courts.

"Itai, itai, itai!" he squealed, "That hurts, Kin-chan!"

"Hmm," she rubbed her chin, "There's not many people here today."

"Kin-chan, I don't even have a racket!" he protested.

"That's okay, you can borrow theirs," she kept walking, undeterred. She picked up a tennis ball that rolled by and bounced it on the ground.

"Oi, kid, there's no tennis practice today. It's only on Tuesdays and Thursdays before the regulars tournament," the student told her. She cringed, dropping the ball.

"Oh." Defeated, she looked down at the ball and kicked it. "Let's go, Taro-chan. We'll come back tomorrow."

"H-hai..." he agreed and followed her.

"Demo," the sophomore smirked, "It's okay if you want to stay and practice. Kiyoshi and I will be staying until six." She turned around, her azure eyes glittering, shining brighter than the sky overhead.

"Hontou?"

"Mochiron. My name's Hiroki," he smiled, throwing the tennis ball up and down.

"Yosh! From here on out, Taro-chan," her eyes were ablaze, "I'm going to find Kin's Own Identity!"

**Inner Taro: That didn't even make sense. -.-U**

---A Few Hours Later---

"Taro-chan, I'm exhausted," Kin collapsed on the ground, her racket still in her hand. Her normally bright eyes were swirling, completely knocked out.

"Ah, same here," he lay next to her, breathing heavily. "Kin-chan?" he asked, alarmed at Kin clutching her stomach and making painful noises. "Daijoubu?"

"I'm hungry," she groaned. Taro sighed with relief. He closed his eyes, feeling his best friend's calm presence beside him. He blushed when he realized that her hand was right next to his, but he couldn't muster the courage to hold her hand.

"Oi, enough rest! There are balls to pick up!" Kiyoshi shouted.

"Onii-chan, you really are amazing. I never imagined that tennis was this hard. It always looked easy when you played it..." A waterfall of anime tears fell down her cheeks, and Taro-chan obediently worked hard to make her feel better.

"Yosh! That's enough crying for now. Onii-chan, you better watch your back because there's a new star in town!" she rose, the sunrays shining on her magnificently.

"That's my Kin..." Taro smiled weakly and passed out from fatigue.

"T-Taro-chan?" she asked hesitantly, "AAAHHH! Don't fail on me now!" She grabbed him and waved vigorously back and forth, but that just made his nausea worse.

"Those freshmen are losers," Kiyoshi stared, shaking his head.

"Really? I think they're kind of cute," Hiroki laughed as he proceeded to pick up all the balls.

---Translations---

Hontou- Really?

Mochiron- Of course.


	3. Still Standing

Chapter Three: Still Standing

**Taro: U-.- She wasn't yesterday...**

"Hey, look, that freshman's got a Mizuno racket, Pro Light S90!" a student exclaimed.

"That's right. Check it out," Kin winked.

"Who'd you steal that from?" a junior approached her, grabbing the racket from her hands.

"I didn't steal that from anyone! I swear!" she stuttered, alarmed, "I-I just borrowed it, that's all."

"Well, that person won't mind if I borrow it for a while, eh?" he smirked, playing with the strings. "Itai!" A ball collided with the back of his head and he turned around sharply to see Hiroki.

"Oi, Doumoto-kun, with that intimidating personality, it's no wonder you can't get a girlfriend," Hiroki joked.

"You..." he muttered, annoyed, and glared at Kin. She stuck out her tongue and blew a raspberry. "Why, the nerves of her..." He picked her up by her shirt, his fist just above her face.

"Doumoto..." Hiroki warned, throwing a tennis ball up and down.

"Humph." He released her, slammed the racket to her chest, and walked to the other side of the court, still simmering in irritation.

"Arigatou gozaimasu," she smiled at him, bowing slightly.

"No problem. Just watch out for him, okay? It's not smart to have him as an enemy," Hiroki said. 'He's so cool...' she thought, staring up at him in reverence.

**Inner Taro: Oh, no! She's fallen for a senior and I've been swept aside like trash... T.T How could you, Kin-chan?**

"Daijoubu, Taro-chan?" she blinked when she realized that he was sniffing, his arm wiping his face.

"I'm okay," he said courageously, hiding the swelling tears.

"You melodramatic person..." Kin sighed and slapped the back of his head.

"Itai!" he cried.

"That's more like it," she raised her head and marched to the other side of the court.

"Looks like there're a few new freshmen this year, eh? All right, listen up, everybody!" a junior called for attention, smacking the racket against his palm. "My name is Michiru Fukushi, and I'm the captain, last year and this year. Eh eh, if you want to challenge me, that's for later. Now, hem hem," he cleared his throat, "It is our year, Ginka's year to rise up above all others to win this year's national- Itai! Hiroki, what was that for?" He rubbed his head from Hiroki's attack.

"I think you're a little ahead of yourself, Fukushi-san," Hiroki snorted.

"Listen up, everybody. Practice will be held at lunch everyday as well as Tuesday and Thursday afternoons. Next next Tuesday, we will hold a tournament to decide who's going to become regulars," he explained, everyone listening intently.

"Hey! I'm the president here, Hiroki! Let me finish. As I was saying-"

"What's a regular?" a freshman raised his hand and asked. Kin cringed when she realized that freshman was no one other than the oblivious Taro.

"Taro-chan?" she whispered.

"Hmm?" he turned, completely ignorant.

"Shh. Never ever ask a sophomore or junior anything for the rest of your life, okay?" she hinted, her eyes glaring dangerously.

"Ano, okay," he blinked. 'God, how slow can this guy be?'

"We should kick him out of the club," a guy suggested.

"Ah, well, he looks like he can handle picking up a few balls at least," Hiroki defended, and Kin returned to stargazing him.

"Yosh! Everyone take three balls with you and scatter!" Hiroki called.

"Come on, Taro," Kin smiled and grabbed three balls.

"Mate," he called and ran behind her.

"Oi, Taro-chan?"

"Since there's no practice tomorrow afternoon, you want to go run with me? You know, track and field?" she asked, smiling cheerfully.

"Demo, I have to study for a science test," he blinked hesitantly.

"Oh, please, that's not until Friday. Besides, it won't take that long," she rebutted.

"Okay, sure," he shrugged. 'So, how do I do this?' She looked at the ball and then at the racket. She remembered all those times she watched Tezuka kick everybody's ass (with his right hand too) as she would stare affectionately, cheering him on. Of course, it's not like he actually noticed.

"Try an underhand serve," Hiroki suggested.

"Ano, right," she agreed. She dropped the ball and swung her racket, but to her chagrin, it landed on the net and her racket fell from her grasp. "Oops."

"That's okay. Here," he picked up the racket, "This is a bit heavy for you. Use mine."

"Arigatou," she smiled, taking the handle. She dropped the ball and hit it again, and it went over and hit the centerline.

"Keep your feet at the width of your shoulders. Bend your knees."

"Hai."

"Hold the racket at the end and at waist level directly in front of you. It gives you more power."

"H-hai."

"Now move your shoulders to the right and prepare to hit the ball."

"Ready."

"Continue the swing and make contact with the ball so the racket is almost in front of your body."

"Okay."

"Now the racket should be just above your shoulders, pointing to the sky and your intended direction."

"Hai. Let's try again." She dropped the ball and waited for the right moment to follow through. She smacked the ball right in the sweet spot and became a perfect shot to the center of the court.

"Nice, but don't bend your wrist like that. For the most part, use your shoulder strength."

"Arigatou gozaimasu, Hiroki-senpai," she smiled, "Demo..."

"What is it?" he asked.

"I'm left-handed," she said nervously.

He blinked and said, "Why didn't you say so? Let's see it."

"Yosh." She inhaled and exhaled sharply. She remembered Tezuka's perfect, out-of-the-textbook form: bent knees, clean follow-through, and relaxed shoulders. 'Don't forget that constantly austere face either.' She dropped the ball and hit it towards the other side.

"Good form. You'll do fine," he smiled.

"Arigatou. I'm really grateful," she smiled.

"No problem. Why don't you and Taro go over to that wall and hit some forehands?" he suggested.

"Come on, Taro, we've got to show everyone what we're made of," she dragged him over the wall and started hitting. 'This is a piece of cake. Under Hiroki's tutelage, I can shine!'

It took Taro a few tries, but he was actually getting it. Pity that he spent most of his time fetching balls. Still, it was becoming really natural for Kin.

"19." She took a step back and to the left.

"20." A step forward and to the right.

"21. Eh, this is boring." She caught the ball with her right fist, throwing it against the wall. It returned with more force, and she hit it smoothly, but it landed on her shoe and she was a little irritated.

"Let's experiment," she pursed her lips. She hit it easily with her left arm and then switched to her right arm. After her fourth try, she didn't switch fast enough and she missed the ball. 'Chikusho. Hmm.' She tried again, only with more distance between her and the wall with slower, steadier strokes.

"Hey, look, that freshman is using Nitouryuu," a player exclaimed, pointing at her. She smiled, gaining confidence with an audience.

"That's easy with only forehand. I can do that," another person boasted.

"Then let's see it," the voice replied flatly.

"Hehe, well, it'd be more impressive with backhand," the man responded hesitantly. 'Backhand? Let's try it.'

---Meanwhile---

"What do you want, hitting my head with that ball?" a junior glared down at Taro, who cowered in fear.

"Gomenasai. P-please forgive me," he bowed low, hoping to avoid a conflict.

"Heh, you think you can get away with a simple sorry?" He lifted him up by the collar and he was thrashing wildly in fear.

"Somebody help! I don't want to die!" he shouted, squirming, "Kin-chan!"

"What a coward. Calling for help, are you?" he grumbled, staring straight at him, making him fall utterly silent.

**Inner Taro: O.OU Don't kill me! SAVE ME, KIN-CHAN!**

---Five Hours Later---

She panted heavily, sweat rolling down the side of her face. Even after three straight matches with other freshmen, she was still standing.

"My serve rate needs work," she groaned, slapping her forehead.

"You mean it's 0?" Taro corrected.

"You be quiet. You try overhand. You won't be able to get one either," she crossed her arms stubbornly.

"Okay. So you go like this, right?" He tossed it in the air and hit it up. It went over the net slowly and bounced on the baseline.

Kin's jaw dropped to the ground. "That's not fair!"

"Kin-chan, tilt your racket up when it meets the ball. That way it goes higher although it doesn't have as much power," Taro suggested.

"Don't you go bossing me around just because you served overhand once because of sheer luck!" she growled, annoyed.

"Kin-chan-"

"Actually, that won't be necessary. Watch this." She tossed the ball high- way too high- and accidentally a bit to the right. 'Aw well, it doesn't matter.' She jumped to her right and smashed it down, but fate wasn't that kind. Her racket accidentally slipped from the impact and tilted it to the left. She fell down, landing on her butt and her racket smashed on top of her head.

"Look, Kin-chan!" Taro pointed, amazed. To her astonishment, the ball spun fast on the net, as if willing to break the net to pass. The next second, it crossed above the net and landed softly without even a bounce.

"S-sugoi..." Taro collapsed to his knees, "Well, too bad it's a fault."

"Arrgh..."

"Oi, you freshmen! The club's about to close! Since you guys are the last ones here, I'll leave all the ball-picking to you, okay? There's exactly 365 balls, and if you don't find all of them, you'll have to face Doumoto's wrath tomorrow, got it?" the junior waved and disappeared into the changing room.

"B-ball-picking?" Kin repeated, her eyebrows twitching. She glanced around. There must have been hundreds and hundreds of balls everywhere. On the ground, in the forest, behind the wall, even on the roof...

"We're going... to be here... all night," Taro gulped, completely discouraged.

"So, Taro-chan, thinking of skipping class tomorrow?" Kin smiled, gulping at the thought of Doumoto beating her up.

Well, hope you enjoyed it. Review if you feel like it and don't bother if you don't. Flames are welcome as long as they have concrit. (I'll do my best to update everyday, but I'm probably going to drop interest after a week.)

Just to make sure: Taro-chan is obviously not the same 42-year-old coach of Hyotei Gakuen, to spare any confusion...

So, anyone else want to be my beta? I could always use concrit.


	4. The Ankle Brace

Chapter Four: The Ankle Brace

**Inner Taro: At my price... U-.-**

"Kin-chan," he panted behind her, "Matte!" Kin was far too out-of-breath for words, but she slowed her pace. They arrived at the checkmark: the rusted old bench. She checked her watch.

"1:34."

"Wasn't it 1:46 when we started? We are a lot more tired now than before," Taro pointed out desperately, trying to find something to cheer her up.

"Unacceptable. I have to make it to 1:30. If you're tired, just sit here and wait for me to come around the corner," she suggested.

"Okay-" Taro started, but she was already gone. "Geez, that girl is serious." He collapsed on the bench, happily savoring his much-needed rest. He checked his watch. It's been a minute already. He took long gulps of water and tossed a tennis ball around. Two minutes. 'What's wrong?' Three minutes. Then five. 'Nani? What's happened now?'

---Meanwhile---

"Chikusho, chikusho, chikusho..." she cursed quietly, staring at her sprained ankle. "That stupid outcrop and my pathetic klutz-ness..." She sighed, rubbing her right ankle gently. She moved it to an awkward angle. Mistake.

"Itai!" she exclaimed, blinking back tears.

"Oi, you're blocking my sidewalk and you're loud. Move it," a man with a green bandana said in front of her. He looked condescendingly on her, his intimidating beady eyes unnerving her. 'Ah, Seigaku? So he's only a Junior High student.'

"G-gomen," she said, dragging her bad leg to the other side and letting him pass. Mustering her voice, she asked, "Do you know, by chance, Tezuka Kunimitsu?"

He stopped in his tracks, turning back towards her. "Nande?"

"N-nothing. I-I could use his help right now," she stuttered, grimacing at her ankle.

"Why his help?" he glared at her suspiciously.

"Never mind. Forget I asked," she smiled nervously.

"Humph," he snorted and ran down the sidewalk. The moment she sighed with relief, a sharp pain went up her ankle. 'It's no big deal. I just have to hop my way back to Taro-chan, that's all. Easier said than done though. That baka, where is he?'

---After an Hour---

"Kin-chan! Kin-chan! Where are you, Kin-chan? Don't leave me here alone!" Taro shouted and hope had long deserted him. "Kin-chan!" A lump formed in his throat, but he pushed it back. 'No, I can't cry now. Kin-chan could be in serious trouble. What if...'

**Inner Taro: A truck crashed into her and her insides spewed? **

"No, that couldn't have happened."

**Inner Taro: A cat bit her and her eyes got gorged out. **

"She loves cats."

**Inner Taro: Doumoto found her and beat her to a pulp. **

"Why are you so violent?"

**Inner Taro: Then what do you think happened? **

"I don't know, but the problem is... I'm lost!"

---Evening---

Dinner was silent, except for the utensils hitting their plates.

"So, Kin, did you finish your homework today?" Ayana asked cheerfully. Kin cringed, unable to hide it.

"A-almost," she lied. Tezuka glanced at his younger sister, thinking, 'She is so simple-minded. I almost envy her.'

"Kunimitsu, I heard the regulars tournament is next week," their father pointed out.

"Hai," he replied.

"Good luck, onii-chan," Kin smiled.

"I don't need luck," he replied.

"Kunimitsu! Be nice to your sister," their mother rebuked.

"Maybe after she finishes her homework," he suggested. 'Arrgh. He never fails to piss me off. Just you wait, onii-chan, just you wait.' Simmering in tenacity and envy, she glared at him, absolutely determined to defeat him and prove herself. It was almost scary- a dark aura followed her everywhere, even her shadow.

"Good night," he said, not glancing at her and put his plate in the sink.

"Nani? It's only six o'clock," Kin protested. His only reply was absolute silence as he walked up the stairs.

"Kin, don't worry about him," her grandfather smiled, "He can take care of himself."

"Well, he couldn't two years ago," she grunted. The image of Tezuka's broken arm and her desperate attempts to cheer him up popped into her mind.

"Just as you are now," he replied. She sat up, alarmed and glanced at her foot. 'Could he know? Nah, he's probably bluffing.'

"Well, I've got homework," she set her plate in the sink, taking intentionally small steps to hide her limp.

Halfway up the stairs, her mother called, "Did you forget? It's Wednesday, so it's your turn to wash the dishes." 'Chikusho...' she sulked, 'I forgot.'

"I'll be back," she waved and continued climbing. When she slammed the door to her room, she noticed that something was on the table. When she picked it up, she blinked in surprise.

"An ankle brace?" she was shocked, "Onii-chan can read me so well." Smirking, she put it on. 'Perfect fit. It must be small for him, so now I'm inheriting it. Kuni-nii-chan... Mada Mada Dane.'

---Before Midnight---

"Aahhh! No matter how I look at this problem, it's only screwing up my brain more! Stupid algebra!" She threw her book across the room freely, it hit the lamp and the bulb flickered and went dead. 'C-chikusho... Aw well, it's about time I get to sleep anyway.' Still simmering in frustration, she changed and propped onto bed.

The nanosecond before she fell asleep, she suddenly remembered something.

"TARO-CHAN! I FORGOT!"

---Meanwhile---

Taro sat on the bench, sobbing pathetically.

"I'm so scared, and it's getting colder," he sniffed, inhaling and exhaling sharply. He glanced at his ankle. He had tripped over an outcrop and now his ankle was throbbing painfully. 'Could things get any worse?'

Suddenly, a loud rumbling roared overhead and the sky flickered momentarily. He heard sheets of rain splatter. He sighed, tucking in his legs.

"WHY DID I EVEN COME?!"

Review, neh?


	5. Turning Point

Chapter Five: Turning Point

**Inner Taro: After what she's done to me, she needs a change! -.-U**

"Kkkiiiiinnnn," the teacher's voice cut through her consciousness immediately, "Let me see your homework."

"Ah, ah, you see, okay, first, I forgot my backpack coming home... But then I got seriously injured and I couldn't retrieve it, and when I found it somebody had stolen it and everything was smeared and ojii-chan threw it into the washing machine-"

"KIN!" the teacher shouted.

"H-hai!" she mumbled. The shadows on her face etched out the devilish glare. 'Sensei is really, really scary.'

"You could have just borrowed Taro's copy or somebody else's. By the way, where is he?" the teacher scratched her head. Kin breathed a sigh of relief. 'If I was sent to the principal's office twice in a week, otou-san would rip my head off...'

"I heard he came back late, got stuck in the thunderstorm and caught pneumonia," her classmate said. 'Chikusho, it's my entire fault. Poor, poor Taro.'

---After School---

'Taro still hasn't shown up yet,' she sighed, 'I really hope he's all right. Yosh! I'll visit him after-school then. Maybe I'll be nice and drop off some medicine or something. I just hope I won't catch his cold too.'

"Oi, girl, that's like the 20th time you've missed the serve," Kiyoshi called.

"Can you teach me how then, Kiyoshi-senpai? Onegai?" she asked half-heartedly.

"Here. Watch me carefully." He threw the ball perfectly and he smashed it into the sweet spot and above the net.

"Sugoi, sugoi. The problem is that I don't seem to have enough power to make it over the net," she sighed, defeated.

"Don't give up yet. I'll show you." He came behind her and grabbed her wrists. He moved them in the proper position: her left arm parallel to the net and her right arm perpendicular to it.

"Throw the ball." She did, and he guided her wrists so they met full impact. The ball flew over the net... and out.

"Aw, well, good try. You'll get it next time," he smirked, releasing her.

"Ah. Arigatou."

"Hmm," he said, placing his hand on her shoulder. She felt his hot breath on her ear and his other hand creep above her neck. Her body sweated in nervousness and she was paralyzed, not knowing how to react.

"Kin!" Tezuka's voice shouted, cutting through everything. Kiyoshi immediately released her, pretending like nothing happened.

"Kin, come with me," Tezuka commanded, his glare hard.

"M-matte," she stuttered, falling in step beside him after grabbing the cover to her racket.

"Look! No way, he's Tezuka Kunimitsu!" a student pointed at Seigaku jersey.

"Sugoi! Has he come to spy on us?"

"Tezuka Kunimitsu, eh? Kin-chan, you never told us you had such an interesting sibling," Kiyoshi mumbled under his breath.

Hiroshi glanced at his friend and back at the siblings. "I see."

---Meanwhile---

The silence was getting embarrassing. Ever since they came on the bus, Tezuka hadn't moved an inch. Kin looked down at her hands guiltily, darting occasionally at the Tezuka's racket she swiped earlier this week.

"O-onii-chan, why are you picking me up today?" she asked.

"Okaa-san got worried about you coming home late yesterday, so she sent me to pick you up when she realized you were coming home late again today," he explained, still not budging an inch.

"Geez, she could have just told me to come home earlier and I'd do so," Kin scratched her head guiltily.

"True, but then I wouldn't have learned that my little sister's been practicing tennis all this time," he said nonchalantly, not looking at all surprised.

"Hehe," she chuckled nervously.

"Keep the racket if you like it so much, but I think it's a bit too heavy for you, right?" he added. 'How can he say that with a straight face?'

"Ah."

"How about after this we go to the tennis shop and we find a racket that fits you?" he offered. Kin gaped at the prodigy. 'Since when had he been so nice to me? He was really irritated yesterday.'

"I-I'd love to, demo, there's this friend who's sick and I wanted to go by and see him," she smiled nervously.

"I understand. We'll do it tomorrow then. Here's our stop," he rose and walked down the aisle.

'Onii-chan... is finally paying attention to me?' Before she got a chance to explore this question, Tezuka was already off the bus.

"Matte!" she called and ran behind after him. "Seishun Gakuen Academy Middle School," she read the sign, "Sei-Gaku. I get it."

"Are you coming or not?" Tezuka called.

"Coming!" Walking around, she was immediately discouraged. 'So this is the famous private school onii-chan goes to.'

"Onii-chan?"

"Nani?"

"Gomenasai about stealing your racket," she mumbled.

"Don't worry. I've always got a spare." 'Stiff and formal as usual.'

"Well, then, if that's the way it's going to be," she smiled and took her racket out. "You don't mind if I join for a day, do you?"

"Oh, did I forget? Fuji's going to be escorting you home today," Tezuka said, "Okaa-san said that you had to be escorted home, but not by whom."

"N-n-nani? That's not fair!"

---After Dinner---

Kin pressed the door bell. _Ding._

Silence.

She pressed again. _Ding._

Still no reply.

A vein bulged on her forehead. 'I was nice enough to come and no one's going to open the door for me? How insulting!' She pressed like a madman.

_Ding. Ding. Ding. Ding._

No response.

"TARO, IF YOU DON'T OPEN THE DOOR THIS MOMENT, I'M GOING TO RIP YOUR HEAD OFF!" she screamed at the top of her lungs.

The wind whistled across the street and the bushes and trees rustled, giving her a surprisingly idyllic feeling.

"They're probably not home. How disappointing," she sighed, sulking, and then looked at her bag, "I even brought his homework and some medicine with me." Her plan thwarted, she gave up and started walking back home.

"K-Kin-chan? Is that you?" a soft voice replied from behind. She turned around, elated by her friend's call.

She dropped her bag and the pills fell out immediately.

"AAAHHH! WHAT HAPPENED TO YOUR FACE?!"

---Five Minutes Later---

"Whew, Taro-chan, you nearly gave me a heart attack," she exhaled sharply, brushing off her relief, "I swear my blood pressure rose by thousands."

"Gomenasai," he muttered hoarsely, "A-A-ATCHOO!" He rubbed his poor nose with a soaked tissue, and Kin promptly handed him another.

"Well, looks like you won't be finishing your homework anytime soon," she sighed, sweatdropping.

"Homework?" he repeated.

"Forget I said anything," she closed her eyes, not daring to look at the disturbing sight. Taro's eyes were bulging, crimson and tearing. His nose was constantly running, and it was disgusting because it was dripping everywhere unless he stuffed his nose with something, but he would suffocate in seconds. And that wasn't even the worst. His ankle was twice the size it was yesterday, completely swollen and red.

"Poor Taro-chan," she sighed and looked at her ankle brace. 'Maybe he needs this more than I do.' But then she glanced at his ankle again and cringed. 'Actually, I don't think it'll fit. It'll probably just make it worse.'

"Gomen, Kin, but I think you should leave before you catch his cold too," his mother smiled nervously, "Arigatou for coming here to visit him, as well as the homework and medicine."

"No problem. Well, Taro-chan, see you at school sometime, neh? Get better soon so we can start running again!"

"A-A-ATCHOO!"

**Inner Taro: I really don't think he's thrilled by the prospect of running right now. -.-U **

---Friday Afternoon---

"Oi, Kin-san, I think you need a little help on the serve," Kiyoshi sweatdropped when the ball fell on the net for the 50th time. She mumbled something under her breath and continued her onslaught of pathetic serves.

"Did you hear me?" he called, growing irritated. Who was this freshman to ignore him?

"Stupid net... whoever invented that stupid net I'm going to rip their skin off of their bloody bones, burn it slowly over a furnace, feed to ravenous boars and send his polished bones back to his family..."

"Kin-san, I don't think violence is good for a pretty girl like you," Kiyoshi interrupted.

"Did you say something?" She turned around slowly. A vein bulged in his head.

"Kin-san, how about you have a match with me?" Kiyoshi challenged.

"Ano, Kiyoshi-senpai, sure, why not?" she replied flatly. Her have a match with a regular? He was out of her league, but she could only improve by playing against him, right?

"Don't worry. I'll go easy," he smirked, licking his lips. He tasted humiliation already.

"Oh dear, here it goes," Hiroki sighed, watching intently. They moved to a court on the corner with a considerable audience.

"Just one game, okay? I'll serve," he smiled.

"0-0."

Kiyoshi served underhand, slowly but steadily. As the ball approached, she remembered all of the drills and the practice. 'Can't mess up now, especially with this audience.' She connected and followed through successfully, returning with a fastball.

"Nice, but you shot it directly at the middle of the court. Predictable for a newbie," he smirked and aimed for the very corner. 'Chikusho!' She ran hurriedly, but she missed just barely.

"15-0."

"Not bad. With experience, you'll have quicker reflexes," he said.

"H-hai, senpai," she replied, getting back into the ready stance. Kiyoshi was slightly alarmed. Given the fact that the girl had not lied, this was her first real match against someone with more than a week's experience. For a first-timer, she had natural instincts. Not only that, but she's hitting with her right hand. 'Is it because she's learned the form that way or is she trying to mock me?' Annoyed, he served underhand again, and she returned with a two-handed backhand.

"Think before you aim," he reminded.

"Right. I forgot," she smirked slyly, prepared to return the next ball. He hit it back easily to her left where a two-handed backhand was difficult. Still, she managed to connect. Unfortunately, the pre-occupation of arriving at that shot distracted her from completing the follow-through and the ball hit the net.

"30-0."

"I see. Shots at that angle are hard to get. Sugoi, Kiyoshi-senpai," she masqueraded a smile.

"It's nothing." 'It really is nothing coming from a newbie who learned what a topspin is yesterday.'

"Here it comes." He served again, but this shot had more speed and strength to it. Kin attacked it with difficulty, reciprocating with a burst of her own strength. 'He's slightly to the left, so I'll aim for the right corner.' She followed through, careful to finish the stroke in the intended direction.

"Uh-" Kiyoshi blinked in surprise, running towards the corner ball. He barely made it, collapsing as he hit it lightly and towards the sky.

'A lob! Here's my chance!' She ran towards it, gaining momentum. She jumped from her left foot and this point was already in her lap- almost, but not quite. Her grip was loose and when she hit the ball, her racket tilted slightly, giving the ball an angle. It flew down towards the net...

"Gomen, girl. Seems like the ball didn't make it over," he grinned, moving back for the serve. 'Nani?' The ball was spinning on the net -just like one of her previous serves- and then it fell over and onto Kiyoshi's side.

"Impossible! How could that kid-"

"Wow. Lucky," she smiled.

"Enough play," he murmured, clutching the ball tightly.

"30-15."

Kiyoshi was humiliated to let a first-timer score a point on him. 'Have you really only started your first year? You're going to pay.'

"Overhand shot!" 'It's fast...' Before Kin could even take a step, it zoomed past her ear.

"40-15. Match point."

"Hmm," he smirked and served again. It hit the net and rolled back.

"Fault." He glanced at the ball, annoyed that he had missed such an easy shot, especially with everyone watching. They had drawn quite a crowd.

"What's wrong? Intimidated? Hurry up and serve," she taunted. 'Hit it to the right and catch him off-guard.'

"What arrogance. Don't use that tone on your senpai," he grunted. He served quickly and it landed on the centerline, but Kin was ready. Her feet seemed to move by themselves as she approached and hit it to the opposite side. 'So strong,' she grimaced. She absorbed the impact of the stroke, holding the ball there for a split second. Retaining the spin, she returned the ball to the other side.

"Too slow," he muttered and hit it with a double-handed backhand. 'This is a piece of cake. To think that I was actually worried for a moment there. Who am I kidding?'

'Chikusho. I won't make it in time,' she thought, running to her left. Unconsciously, both her sweating hands grabbed the racket. 'The ball's so close.' She reached out with her left hand, her body soaring from the momentum, adrenaline kicking into her system.

_Use the power in your shoulders, not your wrist or arm._

'Well, can't do that here, eh?'

She snapped her wrist back before the ball collided with the very edge of her racket. Her arm nearly gave way at the collision, but she gripped hard and flicked.

"No way, she returned it?" he commended, bewildered. He returned it easily, but there was an uneasy feeling churning in his stomach.

"Out."

"Nani? How could senpai miss a shot like that?"

'That spin... Whatever she did to the ball, it made it go out.'

"40-30."

"I can't believe this. It's ridiculous. Senpai can't even win against a kid?"

It didn't matter if Kin won or not. She had proven her reputation as a tennis player, and she got an extra bonus humiliating Kiyoshi as well. She would be grinning for the rest of the day.

---Friday Evening---

"Kin-chan, I really think you should go home now. Your family is probably really worried. You've been practicing for hours," Hiroki sweatdropped. 'And you aren't getting any better either.'

"Humph. Onii-chan is probably also practicing late today. I can't lose to that prodigy freak!" she shouted, concentrating all of her anger on that one shot.

"Kin, stop it."

"N-nani?"

"Do you really think that you can defeat Tezuka Kunimitsu, the captain of Seigaku, undefeated in tennis?"

"A-are you serious? I knew onii-chan was good, but I didn't know he was _that_ good."

"Mark my words, Kin. You. Don't. Stand. A. Chance."

Hiroki's glare pierced right through her as she collapsed slowly. 'Hiroki-senpai has always been so nice to me, so how could he? How could he crush a little girl's dream?'

Tears rolled down her cheeks as she sobbed and screamed, pounding on the ground in frustration.

'Oops. That was not my intended reaction,' Hiroki's eyebrows twitched. 'Maybe I should apologize.' After all, even if this was necessary for her tennis development, he was uncomfortable- to say the least- to make a cute girl cry.

"YOU! YOU! YOU WILL PAY FOR WHAT YOU SAID!" Suddenly, to Hiroki, Kin became the scariest person in the universe. Her eyes were like chlorine ice, as threatening as the deepest of the deepest oceans, threatening to drown him. Her hair was a mess, like as if she had been scratching her head like a madman. A dark shadow seemed to cling to her clothes, face as the intensity of her bloodthirsty aura increased. Her hands were limp in front of her, and soon they were coiled like a leviathan around his neck.

---30 Minutes Later---

"Yosh! Officially done with warm-up! Come on, Hiroki, let's play a game," she smiled, brushing dirt off her skirt. "Hiroki-senpai?"

The remains of his torn limbs and muscles lay in a nasty heap behind her, his eyes gorged out and his insides overturned.

"B-bakemono," he croaked before dozing off.

"AAAAHHH! I totally forgot! Onii-chan and I were supposed to go get my racket at the store today! CHIKUSHO!" She screamed and ran off into the horizon like an Olympic track star, praying fervently that Tezuka would forgive her.

"That girl never ceases to amaze me. Where does she get all her energy from?" Kiyoshi frowned, stepping out from the locker room, "AAAHHH! THERE'S A CORPSE ON THE TENNIS COURT!" Suddenly he felt a tinge of nausea and passed out.

---Friday Evening---

Tezuka returned home from tennis practice. He dumped his racket on the table, his mind going over the tasks he needed to do. 'That Echizen Ryoma really is something else.'

He flicked on the switch to finish his biology homework, but the light didn't turn on.

Flick. Flick. Flick.

It was still pitch black. He turned on the lamp switch and re-plugged it. Still nothing. 'The bulb must be dead. Demo, it was fine before I left.' Irritated, he went to the bathroom and washed his face. 'Nani?'

---Meanwhile---

Kin sighed. She threw the paper into the trash and started over. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't solve the math problem. 'Where is that Taro when you need him?'

She sighed again. 'Maybe I should ask Onii-chan for help.'

**Inner Kin: NO, NEVER! YOU CAN'T GIVE UP, KIN-CHAN! HE IS YOUR ENTERNAL RIVAL! LOOK AT HOW FAR YOU'VE GOTTEN! NOT NOW!**

"Mendokusu... Fine, but it'll be your fault when I fail algebra miserably," she sighed again.

**Inner Kin: I'd rather die trying than lose like a loser!**

"Damare. You're distracting me," she furrowed her eyebrows.

**Inner Kin: It's not like you're going to get anywhere anyway.**

"You're optimistic," she replied flatly, "But I suppose you're right. Why am I even doing this anyway? I'm a procrastinator," she dumped the notebook in the trash.

"Kin!" Tezuka called from the bathroom.

"What is it?" she called.

"Where's my towel?"

"How would I know?"

"Where's my soap?"

"I threw it away because you were invading my half of the bathroom line!"

"You what?" A vein bulged in Tezuka's head.

"You heard me. Go check the trash," she yawned.

"Go get it out of the trash. I can't play-"

"Then don't put it on my side of the sink! You violated our truce, so I avenged it sevenfold!"

"Avenged sevenfold, eh?" Tezuka muttered and his lips curled slightly. "Yudan sezu ni ikou."

"Kin, where's my spare racket?"

'Chikusho,' Kin cringed visibly, her heart dropping in apprehension.

"The strings, uh, snapped when I was using it today," she gulped.

"You _broke_ my racket?" he repeated, several veins bulging on his head.

"It's not my fault your racket is so fragile, gosh. Don't blame me," she argued. Tezuka couldn't stand it. Soap and towels he could understand; she was Kin, after all, and he was used to this after living with her his entire life, but his _racket?_ Now that was going too far. She hadn't even bothered to apologize. After wringing his head of all the most deserving punishments for Kin, he dumped all of Kin's bathroom accessories –soap, towels, cleansers, hair ties, lotion, hair bands- into the trash can.

"Okaa-san, otou-san, ojii-san, I'm taking out the trash, okay?" With a straight face, he dumped the trash bin into the dumpster and wiped his hands.

---Five Hours Later---

"TEME, YOU'RE GOING TO BUY EVERYTHING BACK WITH YOUR OWN MONEY!" Kin shouted with amazing force from her small body.

"I will do no such thing. It's your fault for getting careless," Tezuka replied, his hair (gasp gasp) messy from containing such enragement.

"THAT'S IT!" Kin, bursting with an aura of blazing fury, grabbed Tezuka's racket and threw it out the window. Glass panes broke, people gasped and birds flew away.

"N-D-Why you..." Tezuka was at a loss for words.

Tezuka Ayana glanced at the clock from the adjacent room. It read 1:34.

"What are they arguing about now?" Kunihara sighed.

"Broken light bulbs," she muttered.

"They do realize that there are new ones in the storage, right?" their father turned over, shutting his ears.

"It's pointless to stop them now. However, five hours, I think, has been the longest record yet," Ayana stuffed two extra earmuffs onto her ears. Five minutes later, they were now trying to wrangle each other's necks.

"And now what are they arguing about?"

"Thanks to you, I don't even have a racket now!"

In unison, they sighed. This was going to be one very long night.

In the other room, however, a smile was etched on a snoring grandfather.

---The Next Day---

"Ah! I like this one," she picked up a smaller, more flexible racket and started swinging it wildly.

"The hilt is scratched, see?" Tezuka pointed.

"Oh, man, you're right," she frowned, "Do you have another one of these rackets?"

"Here. Try this one," Tezuka said as he grabbed a light gray one.

"Hmm? Ah, this one's nice too," she smiled, practicing her forehands.

"We still need to buy groceries before we go home," Tezuka reminded. Kin agreed, knowing this was Tezuka's closest version of 'Hurry up because I don't have all day.'

"Yosh, I choose this one," she placed the materials on the table.

The cashier checked the items and said, "12,390 yen."

"Ah? Chikusho, I'm 1,000 yen short," she sighed, flipping through her wallet. 'Oh man, I guess I'm just going to have to give up the book.' She glanced at the cover, which read Tennis for Beginners. 'Aw, well, I suppose I'll just borrow it from someone else.'

"Here," Tezuka said, paying the bills.

"Eh? Arigatou gozaimasu, onii-chan. You're the best," she cheered, punching his arm.

"Hm."

---At Night---

"There it is! There's the tennis court!" She nearly collapsed from exhaustion at running around aimlessly in circles for hours. "Why do people have to make such tortuous roads? Why couldn't every street just be a perfect square or something?" 'Oh my god, I just said 'perfect square'.'

"AAHH! Curse you, sensei, you screwed up my brain!" She waved her fists in the air wildly.

**Inner Kin: You're talking to yourself again.**

"Well, there's always you."

**Inner Kin: I am you.**

"Say, how come I've never heard you before? You just popped up into my mind today and started bothering me."

**Inner Kin: I'm your conscience. The problem is that you never listen to me, but now that Taro's sick, you're not pre-occupied enough.**

"Go away."

**Inner Kin: No. You go away.**

"The only way I'm going to go away is if you go away."

**Inner Kin: T.T Why do you hate me so much?**

"It's not you who I hate, it's..." she sighed. Images of other familiar faces came to mind. Tezuka was first, then her parents, then Kiyoshi, and don't forget that baka Hiroki, and she only hated Taro because she missed him terribly.

"I hate tennis too." She kicked the ball, but it bounced off the wall and hit her shin. 'That's exactly what I'm talking about.'

She lay down on the ground, gazing at the night sky. Each glittered with their own singular beauty, their own uniqueness. No matter how dim or forceful a beam was, it was there to add to the myriad of lights.

"The stars are beautiful tonight."

**Inner Kin: They've always been beautiful. This is just the first time you've noticed.**

To Inner Kin's surprise and concern, Kin, for the first time in her life, shut up.

For some odd reason, the stars seemed to be talking to her somehow.

She pointed to the dim star on the left. "That's me."

To her right was a bright Tezuka-star, surrounded by thousands of tiny flickering dots. Although his star was bright, she knew that he would shine one day, above all the rest. He seemed to be leading the way for eight other stars, each with their own hidden potential. Beyond that tiny square, there were millions of other lights, each encapsulated with their own hopes, dreams, goals and potential.

"The world's big, isn't it?"

Sharing Kin's awe, Inner Kin, for the first time ever, shut up as well. Together, they shared this moment of rare serenity as something shifted inside Kin.

**Inner Kin: I feel so small.**

No reply.

After a few moments, there came a soft snoring.

**Inner Kin: AAAHHHH! SHE'S FALLEN ASLEEP!**

---Meanwhile---

"Ayana, where did Kin go? It's nearly midnight," her father asked.

"How would I know? She was working on her math homework for once, instead of procrastinating to the last second. Maybe she's actually turning around for once," her mother replied.

"Working on homework where?" he asked.

"She isn't in her room?"

"Nope."

"Or her closet?"

"Nope."

"You didn't check the bathrooms, did you?"

"You go do that."

"KUNIMITSU!" she called.

"Nani?" he shouted from upstairs.

"WHERE'S YOUR SISTER?"

---Later---

_"Do you really think that you can defeat Tezuka Kunimitsu, the captain of Seigaku, undefeated in tennis?" _

The serve came. Kiyoshi was serious this time. Everything seemed to go in slow motion: her approaching steps that echoed in her ears, the flying ball that had a powerful spin and the anxious staring of all the spectators. Her lungs and legs were burning.

_"Look! No way, it's Tezuka Kunimitsu!" _

The ball came hard and she hit hard. Focusing all her concentration and strength, she connected.

_'I can do this. I know I can. To onii-chan, this is positively nothing. Thus, it's less than nothing for me.' _

The ball went over. Kiyoshi was startled. That arrogant kid had returned his powerful serve? Not bad. Still, it's not like it mattered.

"Out."

She dropped her racket.

_"How pathetic. A kid like you doesn't deserve the name Tezuka." _

"Out."

"Out."

"Out."

_"Mark my words, Kin. You. Don't. Stand. A. Chance."_

She couldn't believe it. What made her think that she even had any potential?

Collapsed and utterly spent, tears rolled down her cheeks, her vision blurred.

_"What a cute girl. I heard she's Tezuka's little sister."_

_"She doesn't stand a chance against him. She'll probably just be on the sidelines cheering all her life."_

_"Look at her, she's practically his shadow."_

'Onii-chan, will I always be in your shadow?'

Inner Kin couldn't stand it another second.

**INNER KIN: DAMN YOU ALL! GET AWAY FROM MY PRECIOUS KIN! STOP BRAINWASHING HER, YOU ALIENS! **

Slowly but surely, Inner Kin turned around, positively livid, to face the ever-so-innocent Kin.

**Inner Kin: Tezuka is Tezuka. Taro is Taro. Ojii-chan is retarded. But most importantly, we are Kin, Kin! What happened to the cheerful face Kin, the persistent Kin who never gives up, the Kin who fails at algebra, the Kin who loves to run, the Kin I've shared a body with my entire life?!**

Kin looked away. "She never existed."

**Inner Kin: You know what? I've had enough of this. You stubborn, selfish little bitch! If you insist on giving up without a fight, losing like a loser, I guess I can't stop you! Goodbye, FOREVER!**

With that, Inner Kin dissipated into nothing.

"It's cold."

Slowly, tears swelled in her eyes and started to fall again. The black abyss shifted.

She was walking home by herself from after school help. She stayed late to re-take the science test, and then she missed all the buses. As she walked over the bridge, watching the cars pass beside her, she noticed a group of friends playing on tennis fields below.

Alone.

That's all she'll ever be.

A loser.

A nobody.

A dropout.

And there was Tezuka the prodigy, Tezuka the perfect, Tezuka the ever-so-talented-jerk-who-is-constantly-runover-by-rabid-fangirls.

"THAT'S IT! I CAN'T STAND THIS ANY LONGER!"

Kin crossed through the imaginary portal and slapped Tezuka straight across the face.

"You think I don't stand a chance? Well then, you are WRONG, onii-chan, WRONG! I swear that I, a nobody, will _break _you!"

**Inner Kin: That's what I'm talking about! We'll crush you with our opposable thumbs and we'll show you all! Just you wait, Kiyoshi, Hiroki, WE'LL PROVE YOU WRONG!" **

"Um, Inner Kin?"

**Inner Kin: Ah? **

"You just kinda ruined my moment there. There is no 'we' in the equation. No 'we' at all."

**Inner Kin: Nani? No, don't kick me out! No, kkuudddaaassssiiiii!**

---Midnight---

Kin blinked her eyes slowly, yawning ferociously. 'When did my bed get this hard?' She stopped in mid-turn.

She opened her eyes. 'Chikusho. I'm sleeping on the tennis court. Ah, well, it was refreshing.'

"Say, I had a really weird dream."

**Inner Kin: Really? **

"Really. Oh well, I must not have slept long. Hmm, so, let's play some tennis." She picked up her racket and her ball.

'I'll prove you all wrong.'

She tossed the ball in the air. With her left hand, she smacked the ball down onto the other side and hit the centerline for the first time.

"Yosh! I did it, Inner Kin, I did it!" she smiled happily.

**Inner Kin: You mean _we_**** did it.**

"No, I mean _I_ did it."

**Inner Kin: U-.- Here we go again. **

---Later---

"Sugoi! Sugoi! With my left hand, I can get two out of three serves! With my right hand, I can only get half, but I'm not giving up! I'm never giving up!" Beads of sweat rolled down her face as she served again.

"There you are, Kin," a flat voice said from behind. 'Eh? A person at this hour? Maybe I can get him to play with me.'

She turned around. The ball dropped from her hand.

An enormous vein bulged in Tezuka's head. Kin thought that he would get a stroke any second now.

"Do you... have... any idea... how much trouble you are in?" he said slowly, crossing his arms.

**Inner Kin: Onii-chan's really scary. Well, I'll be leaving now, hehe. Good luck.**

Kin gulped.

---Translations---

Okaa-san- Mother.

Bakemono- Monster.

Yudan sezu ni ikou- Let's not get careless.

---Author's Note---

Anyways, so someone please tell me if you think Kin is a Sue (even if you're a flamer and you tell everybody that) and _how I should change_ _her_, because I'm getting a little worried. Okay, screw little. Extremely worried, especially with all the flamers around these parts. (She got a freakin' 33 on the Litmus Test, well, the first time anyway. Unbelievable!) Well, excuse my rambling. The next chapter is going to be pretty long as well.

So tell me what you think and give me some concrit, neh?


	6. Kin Grounded? I Think Not!

Chapter Six: Kin Grounded? I Think Not! 

**Inner Taro: Knowing her, she'll always find _some_ way, and that way almost always includes my suffering...**

**Inner Kin: Don't be like that. It's not my fault that you can't resist my breathtaking persuasion skills.**

**Inner Taro: ... Persuasion skills? It's more like death threats.**

**Inner Kin: (dangerous glint in eyes, pulls out a machete) I dare you to say that again.**

**Inner Taro: Someone help me. -.-U**

"Taro-chan! You're back!" Kin's face immediately brightened. She wrapped her arms around Taro's neck and squeezed, laughing and smiling cheerfully for the first time in over a week.

"C-can't b-breathe," he gasped, his eyes rolling to the back of his head.

"Gomen, Taro-chan, I couldn't resist," she smiled full-heartedly, "It's been so lonely without you."

"Miss me much?" he teased.

"Nope, not at all," she lied flatly, sitting at her seat as the bell rang. She smiled as she watched Taro almost drop out of his seat in disappointment. 'How kawaii.' Since they hadn't seen each other for a week and a half (what a sin, right?) they told each other everything that happened.

"I was knocked out for 16 hours on Friday. Sugoi, right? When I was sleeping, it was pleasant, except for that one time when I nearly suffocated from snot..."

**Inner Kin: Suffocated from snot? Now that is the most disgusting thing I've ever heard. **

'Hey, it's my fault that he was even sick, right?' She sweatdropped, although she agreed with her conscience.

**Inner Kin: But it was his utter stupidity and incompetence that he didn't solve the problem. **

"Today I woke up and I was totally fine. My mom still makes me take medicine, but I feel great," he made a peace sign.

"That's awesome, Taro-chan! Did you do your homework too?"

"Ano, I forgot," he answered flatly.

"That's okay," Kikyo-sensei interrupted, "Both of you will be staying for the after school session today. Taro needs to make up work, and Kin, you're staying because you didn't get a single problem on the homework right. Did you really think I'm that gullible?"

"A-ano..." her face twitched, but sighed, defeated, "All right, I give up, but I don't think I can. I'm grounded."

"Waaahhh? You're grounded?" Taro repeated, concerned.

"I was going to tell you, but you couldn't stop rambling. That's not all. I've got to do all the laundry, dish-washing and cleaning for an entire month," she sighed and then screamed, "AN ENTIRE MONTH! Okaa-san is so mean." 'She's a housewife, after all. She doesn't have to worry about failing algebra, now does she?'

"Well, I suppose I can call your mother and maybe she can make an exception, neh?"

"Good luck at that," she sighed, "Sensei?"

"Ah?"

"Do you like playing tennis?" she asked.

"Tennis? I haven't played tennis since high school. Nande?" Kikyo was surprised at the question.

"Do you want to play after school today, then? I have a racket," she smiled, her voice sugarcoated and mellifluous. 'The regulars tournament is this week. I have to practice! I have to get onto the team. I _have _to! I won't let this stupid grounding get the best of me!'

"Arigatou, Kin, but you aren't getting out of math that easily," she chuckled, thinking that she had seen right through her words.

"How about this then? If you tell my mother that I'm going to be learning algebra from you this entire week, I swear I'll get a 90 on the next quiz. Not only that, but I'll do _all_ my homework!" she offered.

"NNAANNNIIII? Kin, have you gone crazy?" Taro's jaw dropped to the ground.

"You, do all your homework and do well on the quiz?" the teacher's eyebrows twitched, "I don't believe you."

"What do you mean you don't believe me? I'll do anything, I swear!" To everyone's amazement, she fell out of the chair and grabbed her sensei's ankle. Anime tears fell from her cheeks. 'I have to do this. I have to become a regular!' The bewildered teacher tried to shake her off, but she held on to her ankle, praising like a sycophant and muttering die-hard oaths.

"No," Kikyo replied flatly.

"Kudasai, anything!" she cried, not letting go. Kikyo thought hard. Kin's heart pounded hopefully with each passing moment.

"You have to get 100," she stared down hard, shadows etching her face.

"A 100?!?!" Taro and Kin screamed together.

"I've never gotten a 100 in school my entire life!" Kin confessed.

"Never?" she repeated, shocked.

"Never," Kin sulked.

"Well then, this'll be the first time," Kikyo declared adamantly.

"92," Kin fought.

"100."

"95."

"100."

"97..."

"110." 'What a troublesome, obstinate girl. She just never gives up.'

"All right! I give up, sensei," Kin finally agreed.

"Ah, but I won't lie to your parents. You make sure you return the favor," she agreed with a malicious smile, "If you don't keep your end of the deal, you're coming in the entire next month to work on math packets."

"THE ENTIRE MONTH? You're so evil, sensei!" Kin cried, sniffing but finally letting go of her teacher's ankle. 'Whew,' Kikyo thought, 'I'm just relieved of getting this cuckoo girl off of my ankle.'

"Wow, I can't believe that Kin agreed to get a 100 in math. That's just..."

**Inner Taro: A miracle? **

'Ah, to say the least. Plus she'll do all of her homework and risk another month of math her entire afternoon. Either Kin is changing or she's starting to love math and tennis.'

**Inner Taro: Now that thought creeps me out. Kin, loving math and tennis?**

Taro imagined Kin with enormous glasses, oversize braces, and mounds of books while defeating the three-heads-taller senpais in the National tennis tournament.

**Inner Taro: Now that is disturbing.**

---After School---

All of last year's regulars were gathering outside. Tomorrow was the first day of the interschool championship, after all, and the top eight would become the ones to challenge the world.

"Kin, you need to concentrate," her young teacher's voice reminded.

"Hmm? Oh, gomen, Kikyo-sensei," she apologized, staring back down at the worksheets. Her eyes were already swirling. Her leg was twitching from restlessness and her hand refused to write a single word. No matter how hard she concentrated, her brain turned out blank. She was starting to think that her brain consisted of the ramen she ate for breakfast. She knocked her fists against her head.

_Bonk. Bonk_. 'Okay, good, at least I'm not hollow-headed.'

**Inner Kin: Yet.**

'Did you say something?'

**Inner Kin: Sorry, can't help you here. I'm just as hopeless when it comes to math...**

"Kin-chan, this is actually pretty easy. Are you having trouble?" Taro grinned from the seat next to her, making broad, swift pencil strokes.

"You be quiet," she said irritatedly, waited for Kikyo-sensei to turn around, and then whispered, "Give me the answers then."

"KKIIINNN! I heard that." Miraculously, Kikyo-sensei popped up behind Kin out of thin air.

"Sensei! You don't have to scare me like that," Kin smiled guiltily. 'If only sensei didn't have such good ears. Humph.'

"Ah, well, the sooner you finish those packets, the sooner you can act barbarian outside, neh?" Kikyo smiled.

"Hm..." she looked down back at her paper, but it just looked like a bunch of squiggles and lines. 'Am I hallucinating? Or do I need glasses?'

"Don't think about copying either. I know your handwriting and habits, Kin," Kikyo returned to her desk, "Ask me any question."

"Sensei?"

"Ah?"

"How long will you be staying?"

"Ano, probably until dinner," she smiled. 'I'm supposed to finish this in only three hours? Who does she think I am? Einstein? I'm going to be here all night.'

"Kin, the regulars tournament starts tomorrow, doesn't it?" Taro asked abruptly.

"Ah, it does. That's why I'm screwed. Why did they have to pick such a horrible time to ground me? It's not fair," she sighed, trying hopelessly to concentrate.

"Demo, Kin-chan, isn't that for the all-_boys_ tennis club?" Kin couldn't believe that she had forgotten that part. "When's the girls' tournament starting?"

"No, I'm not participating in the girls' club. I'm going to beat all the guys and watch them cry like girls!" she replied forcefully. 'I have to fight on equal footing with onii-chan! Going to the girls' team... how humiliating.'

"Kin-chan, how are you going to do that?"

"You're right. That is a problem..." Taro was very alarmed when he heard snickering from the desk beside him. When he saw that her eye sockets were dark and her lips were curled malevolently, he knew that she had just concocted an idea from that ramen-filled brain of hers. She had the exact same look when she forced him to share his lunch the entire year, she copied his answers on an exam, and shaved him bald, calling it a 'trim'. He gulped. This was very, very bad.

---The Next Day---

Kin was allergic to peanut butter. Her face would swell, her eyes would get puffy, and she would sneeze incessantly. What her family didn't know is that she had a handy, ready stash under her bed. Cough a few times, take a lick here and there and she could feign a cold any day she wanted.

"A-A-ATCHOO!" She covered her mouth with a tissue.

"Oh, Kin, do you feel any better?" her mother carried a lunch tray to her bedroom.

"N-not really," she sniffed. 'It's not a lie.'

"Here, eat this," Ayana handed her a pill and she gulped it down with a glass of water. "This should help your symptoms. Eat everything on your plate. It's your mother's specially regulated Get-Well Lunch!"

"Arigatou, okaa-san," she smiled guiltily, her heart thumping. 'If only she knew, she'd rip my head off this moment.'

"Get well-rested, okay? Don't worry about your chores, but don't think you're getting out of them either- I'm just going to postpone your punishment," she smiled slyly, her brown eyes glinting.

"Mochiron, okaa-san. Arigatou gozaimasu," she smiled and took a bite. 'This is really good. Okaa-san is in a really good mood tod-'

"A-A-ATCHOO!" she sneezed on her lunch and she unattractively purged her full mouth onto her mother's face.

"Kkiiiinnnnn," her mother's eyes were unreadable, "Haven't you ever heard of covering your mouth when you sneeze?"

"G-gomen, gomen, gomen, gomen-" she apologized hastily and a lump of fear got stuck in her throat. This was going to be a long day.

---Later---

_Snore. _

_Snore. _

_Wheezy snore._ (Maybe her nose is clogged up?)

**Inner Kin: Kin-chan's always been loquacious, but who knew she was this loud when she sleeps? **

In the depths of her mind, Kin knocked out her pestering inner voice with a mega punch and resumed dreaming about acing school. In this classroom, Kin ruled as an undisputed monarch. Kikyo was now her slav- student, sitting obediently in her chair while Kin frenziedly gave her unfair detentions.

She taught her own mathematics; there was no such thing as radicals, theorems, imaginary numbers and polar equations.

"Hai, Tezuka Kin is the most beautiful, most passionate, most intelligent and most huggable goddess of all time," the classroom chanted nonchalantly.

"What's that? I can't hear you! Where is your passion?" she marched around with a snakeskin whip, "Kikyo, recite rule number nine!"

"H-hai, Supreme Overlord Kin the Great," Kikyo gulped, "Algebra, geometry and trigonometry are undisputedly the leading cause of dead brain cells, inevitably ending in death every time the word is mentioned."

"Then, I beg your pardon, why did you just say those forbidden words?"

"Gomen, Most Powerful Creator, I simply recited rule number nine," she stuttered.

"WHAT INSUBORDINATION! Sedition is the most unforgivable of all deadly sins! 100 lashes!" she screamed and Kikyo jolted in terror. "MWHAHAHAHA!"

_Snore. _

_Wheezy Snore. _

_Snore._

**Inner Kin: Uh, Kin-chan? It's 3:00 already. How long do you plan on dreaming these embarrassing fantasies? If anyone finds out what you dream about, I'm going to disown you. **

"Whaaaa?" Kin jolted up from bed and glanced at her Hello-Kitty alarm clock. "AAAH? It's three already? Chikusho! You stupid conscience, why didn't you wake me up sooner?"

**Inner Kin: -.-U You said you set the alarm clock.**

"You are my mental alarm clock!" she rebutted, hastily changing into her tennis clothes.

**Inner Kin: Well, I'm flattered to see that I'm put to such good use. **

Kin hastily put on a tee shirt and jeans, disappointed to see that she didn't need to bind her chest because it was totally flat in the first place, and put Ginka's girl uniform in a bag around her shoulders along with her racket.

'This is the hardest part,' Kin thought, gulping. Her room was on the third floor, and the way down seemed like eternity to her. 'Calm down, Kin. You can do this. Just land in the bushes, that's all. Land in the bushes...'

She gulped again. She hoped the bushes didn't have thorns. Deliberately slowly, she opened her window.

**Inner Kin: Any day now... **

The window was just big enough for her to fit through. She grabbed the bag with her new tennis racket and held it over the window, ready to drop it, but her fingers suddenly seemed to be stuck to the grip tape.

**Inner Kin: Coward. Now we're never going to make it to after school tennis. Hiroki was right. You. Don't. Stand. A. Chance.**

'WHAT DID YOU JUST SAY? Watch!' With a burst of fury, she dropped her racket and it landed into the bushes with a whoosh. 'Yosh. It's just small fall, that's all. I'm sure okaa-san takes care of the garden well.'

She accidentally tripped on her desk and she didn't exactly know what happened next. A blur of colors and suddenly she was screaming "ITAI!" She immediately clapped her hands over her mouth. She would not let her mother or grandfather realize what she had done. Not after all this hard work.

'I think I just broke my back,' she thought as she rubbed her head. After waiting the world to stop spinning, she made quite a ruckus climbing out of the rustling bushes. 'I'm lucky that nothing's seriously injured, especially with a headlong fall.'

Sighing with relief, she bent over to pick up her racket, and she was off to Ginka. Sprinting to the public bus stop, she suddenly realized something. She dug through her pockets, but they were empty.

"AAHHH! I FORGOT THE BUS FARE!"

From three stories above in a quaint but cozy room sat her ojii-san, gazing down at her with a smile. 'Teenagers these days are nothing but stubborn. Aw, well, what can I say. You're my granddaughter after all.'

---Later---

Taro waited in the boys' bathroom. Waited and waited and... waited. 'Kin-chan, where are you? The regulars tournament has already started and you aren't here yet.' He sighed and turned on the facet. He washed his face thoroughly, glad to feel refreshed.

"Taro-chan!" Kin's voice burst through as the door suddenly smashed open. She was wheezing for breath because she had never been more exhausted in her life.

"Kin-chan, you're late. Daijoubu?" Taro turned to face a crimson-faced, nearly-collapsing Kin.

"I forgot the bus fare, so I had to run the entire way. Where are the wig and the clothes?" she asked between fervent panting. Taro pointed to the bag next to her and she grabbed them, slamming the stall door. She changed as quickly as she could, until she realized that she had her shirt inside out. 'Chikusho...'

"Did you turn in the tennis club permission slip with the signatures?" Kin asked.

"Mochiron, Kin-chan. I would never let you down. Are you done?" Taro asked from outside.

"Put these on!" She kicked him a bag from under the stall. Taro's face twitched when he realized what was inside: Ginka's girl uniform.

"I hate cross dressing," he whined, grimacing at the thought.

"Stop being a baby and put it on!" she commanded, turning her shirt around, "Yosh, okay, how do I look?" She stepped outside and Taro nearly jolted. It was like looking at a mirror. They were the perfect height and the same bright blue eyes and chocolate-brown hair (only Kin's was a wig.)

"...Just like me," he answered after moments of gawking.

"I'll be off now. I'll be waiting for you to cheer me on, okay?" Without a moment to spare, she grabbed her racket and ran out of the boys' restroom.

"Matte, Kin-chan! I don't know how to put on a skirt," Taro's eyes twitched, "Why is it that I always get pulled along into doing what I don't want to do?" Sighing, he grudgingly put on the too-tight shirt and very revealing short skirt. He glanced at the mirror and flushed until his head was a walking tomato.

Inner Taro collapsed to the ground, clutching his chest, laughing deliriously like he had never laughed in his life.

"I am _not_ letting anyone see me like this," he muttered as beads of sweat ran down his face, smoothing his skirt fervently. 'Why does the fabric have to be so short? How do girls stand exposing their underwear like this and pull it off?'

"Hey, that was good warm-up, Suzuki. I can't wait to play-" As two guys entered from the door, there came three blood-curdling screams.

---Meanwhile---

"So, Taro-kohai, you're going to participate as a freshman?" Hiroki turned to ask her. It took her a moment to realize that she was Taro now, and she better act like it.

"Ah," she nodded.

"Well, good luck. I heard you were sick. Daijoubu?" he smiled.

"I'm feeling pumped, ready to take on anything," she smiled.

"A new racket there, I see. Well, you made it just in time," he pointed to the poster, "I think you're on Court D."

"Arigatou gozaimasu," she bowed slightly and ran off. The first game was her warm-up. Although her serving was a bit off, she was determined to win the first game at least. Her opponent, quite frankly, could not serve or hit a backhand, but his forehand was pretty strong.

"Game and match won by Aoki Taro. 6-4."

"That was a good game, Taro-san. I underestimated you." They shook hands and she smiled. "Demo, next time, there's no way I'm losing to you."

"Ah, same here." She gasped for breath as she collapsed onto the bench. 'Where'd Taro go? He promised he'd cheer me on.'

---Meanwhile---

"Ah, Kin, there you are," Kikyo noticed him shivering in the corner of the hallway. She pulled him into her classroom, much to his protest.

"Why weren't you in class today, young lady?" she pointed at Taro accusingly.

"I'm not-" Taro started. 'Kin.'

"Nope, I'm not going to take any excuses. Here're the packets. Taro's late too. I'm going to go look for him. Finish those when I come back, okay?" Without further ado, she shut the door and locked it. Although she hated trapping a student in a classroom, she had things to do and she knew that if Kin was Kin, she would find some means of escape, locked or not.

"Do I really have to do Kin's homework for her? Why did I ever agree to this?" He sweatdropped and without a better choice, started on the first problem.

---Later---

Kin's legs were cramping up because she had done little to warm-up and now she was paying the price. She took a long drink from her water bottle and threw a towel over her face, emulating the older senpais, attempting to look cool. 'Onii-chan always managed to look all old and mature by acting like this. Am I doing it right?'

"Oi, your name is Aoki Taro, correct?" a previous regular approached Kin.

"Hai, and you?" She shined a flirty smile at the intimidating regular.

"Yamada Suzuki. You're left-handed, correct?" His glare was somewhat unnerving, but Kin was only flattered by the attention.

"Hai."

"When you use backhand, you need to tilt your grip or else you can only use it two-handed," he explained, picking up her racket.

"H-hai."

"Now show me again," he handed back her racket. She did so, albeit nervously, swapping from forehand to backhand and back again.

"Well, you have potential. When you wait for the ball, don't forget to return to ready position so your right hand can support your left hand," he reminded and stalked off.

"Arigatou gozaimasu," she bowed.

_You have potential._

She smiled full-heartedly. It felt good to hear that.

"Dang it, where is Taro-chan? That liar," she pouted as she prepared for her next match. She spotted Kikyo-sensei's bright red hair and ducked behind a tree, staring as she passed.

---Later---

"There you are, Taro-chan! Where have you been?" Kin entered the boys' bathroom, thoroughly exhausted.

"You don't want to know," Taro sighed. Entering a stall, Kin started to change back into a tee-shirt and jeans. She took off the greasy wig and stuffed it into the bag.

"So how did practice go?" Taro asked from the adjacent stall, never gladder to be wearing pants in his life.

"It was great. I won all three games," she said cheerfully, "A guy named Suzuki was helping me with my backhand. Now all I have to do is correct my serve. I can't win using an underhand serve, after all."

"Good luck, Kin-chan. I know you'll do it," Taro smiled, patting her on the back.

"There you are, Taro-kun! I've been searching everywhere for you!" Kikyo-sensei's enthusiastic voice bursted from behind them, and both of them cringed. "Good work today, Kin. I didn't know you had it in you. I'm disappointed in you, Taro. You didn't come in. Humph, well, here's your punishment." She piled a mountain of papers into his arms. "All of that is due tomorrow."

Kin smiled encouragingly, patting Taro's twitching form.

**Inner Taro: This. Is. Not. Fair. **

"It's okay, I guess. Since I've already done it before, it won't take that long to re-do it, will it?" Taro pointed out optimistically.

"Arigatou gozaimasu, Taro-chan," Kin said and ran off towards the tennis courts, "I'm going to stay late to practice, okay? I'm so glad you're back!"

"Ja!" he waved until she was gone and he was alone with a mountain of homework.

---Later---

"6." She served again and it barely made it over.

"7." The ball bounced on the net and landed in. She tried again, only with a higher angle.

"Out. Chikusho, I can't seem to beat my record of seven straight serves," she collapsed in a heap on the ground, panting deeply.

"Kin, here you are. I thought you'd be here," a cracked old voice said from behind. Kin forced herself to turn her head, dreading the sight.

"Ojii-san," she greeted, sweatdropping.

"It's already seven, and you missed dinner. Your family is worried about you," his told her, and she dropped her head in guilt. "I thought you were sick."

"Well, I was, but-" Her eyes on the ground, she packed the balls and her bags. Great, she had gotten so into tennis that she forgot all about the time. She was planning on returning before five, just in time to still be impersonating being asleep.

"Come on. I'll walk you home," he said, walking slowly towards the exit. She followed his heels, her eyes staring guiltily at the ground. Although he was walking excruciatingly, unbearably slowly, Kin was too fatigued and too guilty to complain.

**Inner Kin: At this rate, we aren't going to reach home until midnight. **

Kin didn't reply, but continued staring at the rainbow sky. The sunset was nothing less than beautiful- the tangerines seemed nearly tangible and the subtle teals meshed easily into each other. Although her stomach was in knots, dreading what may happen when she arrived home, she found serenity in this moment.

"Daijoubu, Kin. Everything will turn out okay," her grandfather said with a smile in front of her. 'Old people are really optimistic, aren't they?'

---At Night---

"Kin, where did you go?" her mother stared down at her rebellious daughter after she returned home far past dark. Her parents looked like they were ready to burst at her. 'What will it be now? Chores for an entire year?'

"You nearly gave your mother a heart attack when she found out that the things under the blanket were pillows, not her daughter," his father shook his head.

"S-suminasen," she bowed low.

Her grandfather put a hand on her shoulder, "I took her on a walk. She looked pretty sick, so I thought some fresh air would do her some good."

"You guys went on a walk for three hours? You're crazy," her father snorted, and both of them blinked in surprise. Her grandfather was defending her? This had never happened before.

"Well, I'm sure Kin enjoyed it," her grandfather grinned. Kin could have sworn that he winked at her.

"Ojii-chan..." She was at a loss for words.

Tezuka walked down the stairs to see what the ruckus was about and eavesdropped amusedly. 'A five- hour walk while carrying a bag with a change of clothes and tennis rackets?' Tezuka thought for a moment that he should defend his little sister, but thought better of himself. 'She needs to learn how to take care of herself.'

After she ate her dinner and finished the homework Taro she had missed, the lights around the house flicked off. Mustering her courage, she tapped on her ojii-chan's door and entered.

She bowed down to her knees in sheer gratitude and mumbled, "Arigatou gozaimasu." 'I'll never say anything bad about you again, ojii-chan.' After a moment, she returned to her room and propped onto the bed.

"Humph. Young people these days," the old man turned back to reading the newspaper through thick-rimmed spectacles.

---:D---

Yup. I've always wanted to include her family more in the series and I wanted a special affinity between her and her grandfather.

Well, you guys will have to be patient about the Kirihara part of the story. Of course, there's always my cute Taro-chan. I hope the cross dressing part wasn't that cliché- although I do hate the overused idea, it's still necessary.

Review, neh?


	7. I Will Break You

Chapter Seven: I. Will. Break. You.

**Inner Taro: She sounds dangerous. I'm glad she's not saying that to me... U-.-**

Much to everyone's surprise, Taro, a.k.a. Kin, was improving exponentially. Still, she can't serve overhand decently after the first few games and she couldn't think of performing a volley or drop shot to save her life.

**Inner Kin: It's six already. Time for you to wake up. Chop chop.**

_Snore._

**Inner Kin: Oi! How are you going to beat onii-chan if you can't wake up early?**

'Damare. I don't care about onii-chan right now. I'm sleeping.'

**Inner Kin: You leave me no choice then. Forgive me.**

Inner Kin pulled out an enormous, ten-story gong and pounded it.

"AAAAHHHHHH! You didn't have to do that!" Kin exclaimed, jolting from her bed. She glanced at the clock. It read 4:15.

"TTTEEEMMMEEE!"

**Inner Kin: Oopsie. My bad.**

---Later---

'...Just another step...'

**Inner Kin: That's right. Put one foot in front of the other. **

'Damare. You aren't the one running.'

She checked her watch. "Oh no, there's only 15 minutes before school starts and I'm still three kilometers away! Chikusho..."

**Inner Kin: Just give it up. There's got to be a bus stop around here somewhere. You're going to drop any second.**

"No, not after coming this far! I have to keep running," she disagreed, starting another sprint.

**Inner Kin: Well, if you're going to give up now, it's not like there's any hope of you defeating onii-chan, who's been practicing since birth, right?**

"I'm not going to give up!"

**Inner Kin: That's my Kin.**

---Later---

"Kin-chan, daijoubu?" Taro poked Kin's fainted figure.

"One hour... of running this morning," she mumbled, "I... can't believe... I made it."

"I'm checking homework right now! Taro, Kin, I'll be expecting you after school today," Kikyo-sensei walked around. "Remember, Kin, there's only three days before the quiz where you must get 100."

"Ah? Only three days?" She suddenly revived, staring at her teacher incredulously.

"Hai, only three days. If you don't keep your deal, Kin, you're going to stay for the entire month." 'Chikusho, this is bad. I haven't been doing my homework well either these past few days-'

**Inner Kin: Do you ever? **

'To get a 100 out of the blue... I hope it's multiple choice.'

"This is hopeless," she sighed and collapsed into her chair again.

"Kin-chan? Kin-chan!" Taro called, but she was already huddling in a small corner.

---After School---

After swapping clothes with Taro, she hurriedly rushed off to the tennis courts. Still, she had to do the math packets Kikyo-sensei assigned. 'I'm going to have to finish things quickly.'

"Did you hear? I heard a freshman has been beating some juniors recently and he's gone undefeated."

"Yeah, isn't his name Aoki Taro?" Smiling, Kin started doing her routine stretches.

"Oi, you're Taro-kohai, aren't you?" a gruff voice called, raising his racket to her face.

"Fukushi-buchou," she bowed her head.

"I've heard enough rumors about this too-good freshman. Let's have a match," he smiled deviously, tapping his racket to his palm.

"Ah? A match already? Don't you think you're rushing a bit, Fukushi-buchou?" Doumoto put his hand on his shoulder.

"Nonsense. It'll be a good warm-up," he smiled.

"Hai, buchou. I'll be honored," Kin smiled in return, elation and zeal filling her chest. 'To be able to play the captain... what a chance.'

"Okay! One set match, Aoki to serve," the umpire called.

"Give me all you've got," he said in a carefree tone, thinking, 'Which really won't be anything.'

"Here I go," she smiled and threw the ball.

"Nice overhand serve," the captain commented, "But you're going to have to do better than that." Before she had time to react, the ball already zoomed past her ear.

"Sugoi. You're fast, buchou," she smiled. This was probably the most challenging game yet; she was never giving up.

Serve.

Pok.

Slice.

Leap.

Smash.

"15-15."

"Not bad, kid. You caught me off guard there," he smiled. 'Aw, well, this poor kid doesn't know what he's getting himself into.'

"That Fukushi. Merciless as usual. Targeting poor freshmen, is he?" Doumoto shook his head.

"I don't know about that. Watch the boy carefully," Suzuki replied slowly. Doumoto watched Fukushi win the game, unimpressed.

"I don't see anything special about him," Doumoto scoffed, stalking off.

"Well then, Doumoto-kun, you need some new glasses. Look at the ground where Fukushi is standing."

"Hm?" Doumoto was surprised to realize that all of Kin's serves landed exactly on the service line, swapping corners. "No way."

"Ah. He was working on controlling their direction. That boy hasn't been practicing his serves incessantly for no reason. Not bad for a kid who's only started a few weeks ago, right?"

"Suzuki-san..." Doumoto smirked, "If I didn't know better, I'd say you're looking up to him."

"Me? Looking up to a freshman? Absurd," Suzuki turned around, a slight blush on his cheeks.

"Game to Fukushi. 2-0."

**Inner Kin: Kin, calm down. He's just another player, that's all. You can't let him get the best of you.**

'Heh, you're right for once. Yosh. This guy really isn't that tough.'

"Ready for this, buchou? I'm going to beat you," she panted, bouncing the ball. 'This guy doesn't have very good analysis skills. I've been making him run back and forth, but he's only returning the shots out of luck and power.'

She served again with extra force, giving the ball a topspin.

Pok. It was a weak and low drop shot.

'Now!'

She ran towards the net, her mind going over the words she read in Tennis for Beginners. 'Use a chopper grip like the way you would hold an axe, and then come up to a net after a weak and low return.'

"Ehh? Serve and volley? Oh, nice!"

"15-0."

"Hmph. Approaching the net, eh? You caught me off-guard there," he growled, 'Aw, well, it doesn't matter anyway.'

"Good. That's what I intended," she smiled.

**Inner Kin: Ready to turn this match around? **

'Whenever you are.'

---Later---

Fukushi couldn't believe it. 'This newbie player is beating me, the buchou?'

"Deuce." 'Chikusho. This point decides everything.' Panicking inwardly, he tossed the ball into the air. In mid-throw, a voice interrupted his concentration.

"I will _break_ you."

Caught off-guard, he swung but missed the ball. Chuckles erupted from the crowd.

"Damare!" he called angrily, his face red from the heat and chagrin. 'This arrogant kid. Who does he think he is?'

He served again and to his relief, made it in.

'What a predictable shot,' Kin thought, 'This guy, at heart, is nothing than a mediocre sluggard. Compared to Seigaku, Ginka is nothing but a joke.'

She slammed it hard, aiming for the baseline.

"Sugoi. What a fast shot," Doumoto blinked, not believing his eyes.

"By watching you, I realized that I can put more power in my shots by using my entire body, not just my arms. Arigatou, senpai."

"Hmph. What a conceited kid," Fukushi muttered, although he felt a grudging respect blossom inside. He served again, but once again she returned with super-fast slices.

"Game won by Aoki. 7-5."

The crowd erupted in frenzied cheering. Suzuki and Doumoto clapped enthusiastically. 'That boy may be a newbie, but he... he could be exactly what Ginka needs.'

"I can't believe I lost to a greenhorn player," Fukushi spat on the ground, thoroughly fatigued.

"That was a good game, but you aren't even trying to reach some of the fast and further balls. Didn't conserve enough energy in the beginning of the match, maybe?" she taunted.

"Damare! A beginner like you has no right to lecture me!" He stalked off, refusing to shake Kin's outreached hand. So, in his place, Suzuki vigorously shook her hand.

"Sugoi. Sugoi. You really are something, Taro-chibi," Suzuki lauded.

"A-arigatou?" she blinked at his enthusiastic smile. 'Is this guy flirting with me? One second he's glaring at me like I killed his mother, and the next I'm his best friend.'

"How about you play me next?" he challenged.

Kin suddenly gasped. "I forgot about sensei! Chikusho, she's going to kill me!" she exclaimed, her heart dropping like a stone in apprehension. "I got to go. I'll play with you tomorrow, okay, Suzuki-kun?"

She ran off at the speed of light, leaving Suzuki looking very dazed.

---Later---

_Gasp. _

_Gasp. _

_Wheezy Gasp._

**Inner Kin: Hey, Kin, maybe you should tone down the running for a bit?**

'Nani? How am I supposed to beat onii-chan if I can't even keep running for a bit? Besides, it's taking my head off of my aching brain. All those stupid formulas... There's no room in my head to keep them.'

**Inner Kin: Ah, demo, if keep this up, you're going to end up fainting or worse.**

'Oh, puh-lease. This is nothing!' With that, she added a sprint that lasted about five seconds. 'I just have to make it to the lamp post... and then to that weird tree... and the last time will be to that entrance.'

Inner Kin: Maybe it's not a good idea to- 

'Damare! It's only been 15 minutes.'

**Inner Kin: Aw, well, since when had you ever listened to me? Aw, well, maybe I can help you take your mind off of the running. Oh, I know. How about we recite some math? The test is in two days, after all.**

_Wheezy gasp._

**Inner Kin: What is the equation for a parabola?**

'Y squared equals four p times x.'

**Inner Kin: What is p?**

'The directrix, right?'

_Slap. _'Itai!'

**Inner Kin: It's the focus.**

'Heh, I knew that.'

**Inner Kin: How do you derive the directrix from it?**

'I don't know! Why are you asking me? If you're so good at math, why don't you take the quiz for me?'

_Slap._

**Inner Kin: You just did this 20 minutes ago.**

'Okay, I get your point!'

Well, at least this took her mind off of her screaming-for-help muscles.

---Judgement Hour---

"It's quiz time."

'Chikusho, chikusho, chikusho...' She clapped her hands together and prayed fervently. 'Please Almighty Lord, if you're out there, show some mercy and give me a 100.'

**Inner Kin: I never knew you were so religious.**

_Slap._

**Inner Kin: Itai. That was meant as a joke, you know?**

_Slap._

**Inner Kin: Okay, okay, I see you don't need my help. Ja ne.**

"Parabolas, circles, ellipses and hyperbolas..." she mumbled under breath, trying to retain _something_ from cramming all those theorems into her head last night.

"Good luck, Kin-chan. Let's do our best, okay?" Taro encouraged from the seat next to her. Kin couldn't reply because her teeth were chattering too hard.

'Coming in to work on packets for the entire month...' Her entire body shivered at the thought. 'If I do that, I'll fall even further behind.'

"Here's the quiz. Remember, a 100 percent," Kikyo slid the quiz onto her desk, glaring maliciously. As Kin glanced over the quiz, she realized that none of it was multiple choice, or true and false, or anything. These were the kinds of quizzes where she got zeros on. 'Chikusho, chikusho, chikusho... That Kikyo-sensei is so evil!'

**Inner Kin: Calm down, Kin. You can do this. I'm here as your savior, remember? You were nervous during Fukushi-senpai's match but you won out in the end, remember?**

'Ee, but that's tennis, not math.'

**Inner Kin: Are they really so different? Take a deep breath. What would onii-chan do in your situation?**

'He'd ace the test without hesitation.'

**Inner Kin: Well, that's true, but... how about you start out by writing all the theorems on a separate piece of paper? **

Inhaling and exhaling sharply, she scribbled down everything that she remembered about the section.

'The equation for a hyperbola... was it c equals a plus b or a minus b? Arrgh...' After re-composing herself and finishing the theorem sheet, she turned back to the quiz. She re-read the problem three times and suddenly she saw the light. From there, everything started clicking.

"Oh my god, I see the light, sensei, I see the light!" she exclaimed from her seat, disrupting the otherwise silent classroom. Everyone turned to glare at her, and she cringed under the 'she-is-cuckoo' glances, but she couldn't care less.

"I will _break_ you."

**Inner Taro: That girl just can't control herself, can she? Talking to her quiz paper... makes me want to pretend like I don't know her. **

'Well, that's Kin for you.'

"40 minutes until the period ends."

_Tick. Tick. Tick. _

'Ellipses translated x units to the right and y units up have that amount added to their variables...'

"20 minutes until the period ends."

_Tick. Tick. Tick. _

'That's right, in an ellipse, b squared equals a squared plus c squared and in a hyperbola, the plus sign switches to a minus...'

"Five minutes until the end. Please stop and check your answers."

'Chikusho, I still have one last problem.' Chewing on her eraser cap, she scribbled furiously like a madman, hoping that she would confuse her teacher into thinking that she got the correct answer.

_Ding. Ding. Ding._

Kin collapsed into her chair with relief. She had never been this exhausted in her life.

"That quiz was really hard. Kikyo-sensei's so tough," a student exclaimed. 'Hmph. Excuses, excuses.'

Kin stood up on her chair and put her foot on the desk and alleged to the world, "I answered every question on that quiz!"

"...And that's new for you, Kin-chan?" Taro sighed, bowing his head. Kin was undeterred. To her amazement, there was an elation growing in her chest. She felt like she was on top of the world; there was no doubt that she got a 100 percent for the first time in her life.

'Is this how it feels like to win? It feels... amazing. Heh, no one can stop me now, not even onii-chan!'

"Kin, Taro, stay a while after this period. I'll grade your tests right now," Kikyo smiled, collecting the quizzes.

---Five Minutes Later---

"AN 81?!" she gasped at the score drawn in red.

"That's right. I had a lot of difficulty reading your answers," Kikyo raised her head in defense.

"But the answer is right there! I should get full points!" Kin screamed, pointing at her encircled answer.

"You just wrote that right now!" Kikyo incriminated, her eyes not believing the sight.

"NO, I DID NOT! How could you accuse me of an innocent crime?"

**Inner Taro: Is it just me or has this turned into a screaming competition?**

"Read the directions at the top, Kin-san," she ordered, pointing to the top with a bony, twitching finger.

"Answers must be systematically in order and immediately evident in order to full credit," she read, blinking, "THAT'S BULL! Is that not 'immediately evident' enough to you?"

"Oi, Kin-chan, maybe you should-"

"Do you know how hard I worked on this?!"

"-calm down," Taro finished with a sigh.

**Inner Taro: Well, looks like we can't do much when Kin is all fired up, eh? **

'She should really put all that energy and devotion towards something else. If she did, she'll be unstoppable,' Taro agreed.

"LET ME FINISH!" Kikyo yelled in Kin's face. "If you would let me finish, I would have told you that there will be a redo out of 100 on Tuesday. If you get a 100, I'll let you go. You only have to redo the questions that you missed. Make sure, this time, that I can follow your work like a professional and your handwriting doesn't look like a first grader's."

"Hmph. Don't worry, sensei, I'll get a 100 no matter what."

---

September 25

Dear Diary,

And so, that was the beginning. That is, the beginning of a monster legend, I'm sure. After Kin managed to beat everyone on the tennis team to a pulp, she received her first 100 percent in her entire life. (After a retake, I barely managed to pull off a 92.) Kin and I have always been best friends ever since she saved me from those bullies hogging my lunch in kindergarten. Now that I look to the seat next to me, I see a different person. This wasn't the same loser who would always fail math or the rebellious girl who constantly decide to break the rules (and always get punished as well.) Nope, now I see a girl burning with ambition and potential. Everyday, when I step into the classroom in the morning, I see her running from school with her racket and backpack after a grueling run. Kin's always loved to sleep -that's probably her only hobby from before- but now she'd getting up an hour earlier everyday just to run. Miracles do happen, I suppose? I think so too. With these impossible events happening before my eyes everyday, I can only imagine what's going to happen tomorrow...

Taro capped his pen. He didn't know what else to write, but he knew that there would be plenty topics tomorrow...

'Kin-chan, don't let me down, okay?'

**Inner Taro: Who do you think you're talking about here? This is Tezuka Kin, the name that's going to be flashing on all the newspapers in years to come. **

"Did you hear? Our Taro-chan has been climbing to the top of the tennis club. He's sure to be a great tennis pro someday," his mother laughed from downstairs.

'Kin-chan, you've always been shadowed by your older brother. You don't now it yet, demo... I think I'm starting to understand how you feel, because the same thing's happening to me, only I'm falling into your shadow.'

Taro smiled. Oh, the irony.


	8. Oniichan's Birthday :DELETED:

I just realized that in Japan, school does _not_ start in September. It starts in April when the cherry blossoms are blooming. The first semester is April-July, the second is Sept.-Dec. and the third is Jan.-March. Thus, this chapter is TOTALLY out-of-place. So, read if if you feel like it, but it's DELETED, I just... don't feel like deleting it. (If that makes any sense to you.) It's entirely fluff anyway, and I'm not the type of author who typically writes fluff. (!#$&, why did I have to learn that right AFTER I wrote this friggin' chapter?)

Chapter Eight: Onii-chan's Birthday

**Inner Kin: Ah, that's right, it's the highly anticipated highlight of the year, Tezuka Kunimitsu's birthday! Confetti and balloons all around! **

**Inner Taro: T.T I can't believe she kicked me off of introducing the chapters. Hogging the spotlight, neh?**

**Inner Kin: Hmph. You're just jealous because you're not in this chapter.**

**Inner Taro: -.-U**

_Zzzz._

A vein bulged on Kin's forehead as the fly flew past her ear.

_Zzzz._

Kin continued reading the book, ignoring the pestering buzzing.

_Zzzz_. 

The enormous house fly landed on the bridge of Kin's nose. For a moment, Kin and the fly stared at each other. The blood-red ominous eyes glared back, magnified a hundred times, showing her a miniature reflection of her oblivious self.

Predictably, after Kin realized that there was a bug biting her nose, she freaked and spazzed. Screaming, she slapped her nose, but only succeeded in knocking herself over. She shrieked again when she stared at herself in the mirror with a humongous black fleck on her nose.

Grabbing her book, she slammed it everywhere in the direction of the fly, berserk in her bloodthirsty revenge.

_Crash. _

_Bonk._

"Itai!"

_Scream. _

"Get back here, teme-"

The ruckus, furniture crashing and screams from the other room attracted her older brother's attention. 'What is it now? She can't possibly be trying to kill herself, can she?'

"Kin, are you okay?" he called, his voice hiding a trace of genuine concern.

"I'M GOING TO SQUASH YOU!" Sighing, he returned back to burying his nose in the book. 'I'll take as a yes.'

---15 Minutes Later---

Unscathed, the fly flew out the corner of the screen window, probably where it came from.

Exhausted and simmering in frustration, she propped onto bed, her entire room in upheaval and disarray. 'I can't believe that fly got away after everything I did.' On the ground, she noticed that a calendar had fallen out from her drawer. She picked it up, noticing the fact that October seventh was circled. She scratched her head, trying to recall why she marked it. In small handwriting, it said, 'Onii-chan's Birthday.'

"AAHHH!" she screamed in fright, "Onii-chan's birthday is _tomorrow_ and I totally forgot! What do I give him?"

**Inner Kin: Calm down, Kin-chan. What would onii-chan do? **

"Well, he'd probably buy me some tennis books, take me out shopping, give me a die-hard present, etc. Okaa-san would take us out to my favorite dango shop, otou-san would increase my allowance, and ojii-san would give me some hand-me-downs."

**Inner Kin: Okay, let's try something different. What does he like doing?**

"Pffth. Well, that's easy: tennis. Well, he does like hiking and being outdoors," she frowned, "But that doesn't help me much."

**Inner Kin: Does anyone else know about his birthday? **

"Well, knowing onii-chan, only our family knows and nobody else... that's it! You're a genius!" She jolted from her bed, a smile etched from ear to ear.

'Hehehe... Onii-chan, you're going to have a birthday you're never going to forget.' Rubbing her palms together and cerulean eyes glinting, a new plan concocting in that ramen-filled mind of hers.

---Later---

'Tomorrow is a Sunday, after all, which is perfect. However, without Seigaku's tennis team, it won't be nearly as brilliant.'

"Oi, Fuji-kun, there you are," she stood up from the bench, waving. "Sorry for calling you out like this so suddenly."

"I don't mind. You sounded anxious on the phone," he smiled cheerfully.

"Well, Fuji-kun, it's a secret, so you can't tell anyone else, okay?" she reciprocated the smile, while inside she was bursting from machination.

"What is it?" he asked.

"Come here," she waved a finger and put her lips to his ear. A few whispers and Fuji's sparkling blue eyes opened in surprise.

"I see. What are you planning?"

More whispers. Nods. Scheming. A decision.

Evil eye glints, perfectly in synch.

"Well then, let's get the rest of our team ready, neh?" Fuji smiled, picking up his cell phone.

---The Next Day---

Kin flew around his room with a pair of gossamer green and black wings. She had transmutated into a mammoth house fly, complete with a hook and tongue that reminded him of the Reaper. Whizzing around, she destroyed all of his soap, towels and ripped apart his books and homework. Suddenly, her round metallic eyes spotted his new racket, and she sat on it smugly as Tezuka gaped in horror as the strings snapped from her tremendous weight-

_Beep. Beep. Bbbbeeeeepppppp._

Tezuka slammed his alarm clock silent. His head immediately went over the events for the day. It was October seventh, but he doubted anyone but his mother would remember. If Kin remembered, that'd be nothing but a miracle.

'That was a disturbing dream.' To reassure himself that Kin had not magically transformed into a fruit fly overnight, he peeked through her door, surprised to find that Kin was not there; she had already woken up and left. 'Kin waking up early on a Sunday? Maybe miracles do happen after all.'

He turned to wash his face, and he was amazed to find that the bathroom was sparkling clean. Kin had neatly re-organized her side of the bathroom and she had washed his towels. 'It's just a coincidence. Nothing more.' Kin abhorred everything that came close to chores; their mother must have coerced with grounding or bribed her with sugar. 'Probably both,' he mused as he rinsed his face and completed his morning ritual.

"Ohayou, Kunimitsu," his grandfather greeted from the kitchen table.

"Good morning," he greeted politely in return. Just when he was about to grab a water bottle, Kunihazu pointed to a steaming mug in the corner.

"That's for you," he said curtly. 'My favorite tea?' The young prodigy breathed in the scent and took a sip.

"Arigatou," he thanked.

"Don't thank me, thank your little sister. She went through the bother to buy it with her own money yesterday," he smiled, his eyes not lifting from the newspaper. 'Kin? I suppose you remembered my birthday after all.' After he finished the cup, he put on his Mizuno shoes, starting his daily run.

---10 Minutes Later---

"Come on, we've got to get all of these decorations up before onii-chan returns," Kin said, grabbing box by box of confetti and banners. She grabbed the dozen helium balloons and hung them around everywhere.

"Where should I put this?" Fuji shouted from the kitchen, waving around banners.

"How about the entrance?" she responded after taping up the wallpaper. The doorbell rang and Kin rushed to answer it.

"The piñata has arrived," the man answered, pointing to a truck.

"Excellent," she smiled mischievously. Things were finally coming along.

---Meanwhile---

"You are the 100th visitor to step into this door today. Congratulations, it's your lucky day!" a huge pink cat slapped Tezuka on his shoulder.

"Suminasen-" Tezuka started, but Momoshiro quickly cut him off.

"As a reward, you get a 10-people all-you-can-eat buffet pass to Kawamura Sushi! However, this pass expires today, so you better use it now! So, going with your Seigaku buddies, neh?" Momoshiro elbowed Tezuka in his kitten outfit.

"Eh, senpai? How long do I-" Echizen started in his mini blue rabbit outfit, but Momoshiro slapped his hand over his mouth and started wrestling him.

"Well, congratulations and enjoy the meal!" Momoshiro said and ran off into an alley at the speed of light. Tezuka sighed and stuffed the coupon in his pocket. 'I wonder how the word leaked out about my birthday. Hm, there's only one person who could have done this... that Kin.'

---10 Minutes Later---

"Momoshiro-san, Echizen-san, did you give him the coupon?" Kin asked.

"Hai," Momo replied, taking off the costume.

"I still don't see why you had to pull me into doing it too," Echizen sighed, embarrassed to be seen removing his bunny outfit.

"That's okay, Ryoma-kun," Kin laughed, "You look cute in that." She pulled his cheek (which was surprisingly soft) and Ryoma blinked at her, his cheeks turning slightly pink.

"Hey, don't I look cute in this as well?" Momoshiro said jealously, knocking over Echizen. Kin just smiled. Boys were so simple-minded.

"The decorations are done. We just have to wait for Tezuka to come back," Fuji said, brushing his hands.

"My, my, what's all this ruckus? Young people are very energetic, aren't they?" her grandfather came from his quaint room.

"We're just preparing for onii-chan's surprise birthday party, that's all," Kin answered.

---Two Hours Later---

"Fsshhh."

"Fsshhh."

"Fsshhh."

"Stop that 'fsh'ing already, Viper! You're making everybody nervous," Momoshiro yelled at Kaidoh, who yelled back.

"Arrgh. Where is onii-chan? He should have been home a long time ago!" Kin muttered impatiently, pacing the decorated green and blue room. 'I went through all this trouble yesterday and he isn't even coming HOME?! Why, the nerves of him...'

"Why don't you try calling him?" Ryoma suggested.

"Ah, right. Why didn't I think of that?" Kin frowned and grabbed a phone.

_Beep. Beep. Beep. _

'Onii-chan, pick up.' "Ah, onii-chan! Where are you?" she asked excitedly.

"At the tennis courts. Nande?" he replied firmly.

"Are you trying to pick a fight, Viper?" Momoshiro was practically climbing all over Kaidoh.

"Just see if you can touch me without-"

"Hey, guys, can you be quiet here?" Kin shouted, but to no avail.

"What's wrong? Are there people home?" Tezuka asked, hiding his suspicion.

"No, of course not. Just come home, okay?" Kin asked, blocking her other ear. "Hey, stop it! You're ripping the banner."

"..."

"Just come home, okay? If you don't, I'm going to break your racket." With that, she hung up. 'Whew, that was close.' "Hey, don't peek at the cake!"

Seeing the incredible ruckus of having the entire Seigaku tennis team over, she sighed. This was going to be a long day. 'Gosh, such inconsiderate guys. How does onii-chan stand these people?'

---At Lunch---

"So that's how it is?" Tezuka sighed. 'Who do they think I am?'

"Ah, Kin-chan went through a lot to prepare for the party," Eiji agreed, putting an arm around her.

"I-It's nothing, really," Kin sweatdropped. 'It wasn't supposed to go like this. Not at all.'

"Well, everyone, wait up! Let's take a picture," Kin called as she readied the camera.

"Come on, guys, say 'wasabi'," she held up a piece sign.

"3, 2, 1..."

"You can't make me say it."

"Come on, Echizen, be a good sport."

"WASABI!"

_Click._

"Yosh! Everyone can choose whatever they want to eat!"

"Are you serious, Taka-san?"

"Absolutely!"

---Afternoon---

"The goal is to crack open the piñata from that line using a racket and a ball with any technique or serve," Kin elaborated.

"Demo..."

"What is it?" she asked, nodding smugly and pleased at herself for such an ingenious idea.

"Isn't that piñata kind of big?" Eiji pointed.

"Big? What are you talking about?" The piñata was a bright yellow tennis ball hung above the fence, two meters long and wide.

"The first person to crack it open claims the prize! So, who will be the first contestant?"

"Yosh. This is a piece of cake. After all that sushi, there's no way I can lose," Momoshiro stepped up.

"Hehehe," Kin rubbed her palms together. This was getting interesting.

---Trial 1: Momoshiro---

Kaidoh lobbed the ball to Momoshiro.

"Yosh! Dunk Smash!" he yelled as he smashed the ball into the ground. The ball bounced up with incredible speed and power.

"Ah, hai, there is no doubt that Momoshiro's all-powerful power tennis will win!" Kin called from an imaginary microphone.

The ball spun like crazy... and missed. Everyone sweatdropped. 'The target is huge. How could he have missed?'

"Hehe," Momo cringed, rubbing his head. 'What did I do wrong?'

"Pathetic. What are you doing, baka?" Kaidoh insulted him.

"If you think it's so easy, you try it!"

---Trial 2: Kaidoh---

"Fsshhh." 'With the right angle and certain amount of pressure, the ball should crack it open easily.'

Preparing himself, he said, "Snake!"

_Swish._ The ball bounced on the court and headed the side of the piñata directly.

Everyone blinked, staring at it in anticipation. The ball fell, but the piñata didn't even budge.

"Who's the baka now, eh?"

"Teme..."

"That's enough, you two! I'll settle this," Oishi sighed and picked up a racket.

---Trial 3: Oishi---

"With absolute precision, Oishi's special move tricks everyone! Watch as Oishi's Moon Volley pinpoints the piñata," Kin announced.

'Just concentrate and aim for the middle of the piñata.' He slid his racket on the ground. "Moon Volley!"

_Pok. _

_Swish. _

"The p-pinata didn't move," Eiji twitched, "That's okay, Oishi! I'll go next, nya!"

---Trial 4: Eiji---

"That's right. A crazy yellow piñata is nothing compared to Eiji's renowned acrobatics," Kin alleged, "It's literally just child's play to him."

"Yosh. Toss me a ball, Oishi. Kikumaru Beam!" He hit with a smile, fully confident. "Eh? No way! The piñata fell just when the I hit the ball?"

_Smash._

"I told you it didn't stand a chance against my Dunk Smash!"

"Be quiet, Momo-senpai," Ryoma protested.

"Hmm... judging from my data, the fall was caused by abnormal wind strengths and a catalyst of Kikumaru's Beam. When hit at this angle, it will rebound and crack open..." Inui digged through his notebook.

---Trial 5: Inui---

"That's right. That crazily heavy piñata will be easily calculated to self-destruction from Inui's infallible computations," Kin smashed her fist against her palm.

"Hm." Inui tossed the ball up, ready to serve. 'It's perfect. Now that it's on the ground, I just have to smash the seams and it will buckle. Chance: 100 percent.' Inui's glasses glinted.

_Pok._

The tennis ball piñata bounced slightly from the impact, but otherwise there wasn't a scratch on it.

"No way. It's even beyond Inui's judgment," Eiji blinked.

"I-It's illogical," he gulped and huddled to a corner to re-assess his observations.

"It's okay, guys. There's got to be a way," the happy-go-lucky Fuji said with a cheerful smile.

---Trial 6: Fuji---

"When the prodigy Fuji Syusuke puts his mind to something, there's no stopping him. He'll defeat that piñata to a pulp," Kin alleged.

"Ready, Fuji-senpai?" Momoshiro asked, preparing for the Dunk Smash.

"Hm." His eyes glinting, everyone gasped.

"Higuma Otoshi!"

"Yosh! Look, it's working!" As the ball spun on the piñata, forming a dent, everyone stared at it hard, as if they could make it explode by glaring at it. Then it fell over, barely leaving a dark spot.

"It's hopeless," Inui decided, assessing the situation, "That piñata is too heavy and too large for a tennis ball to break it."

"Here, Taka-senpai," Ryoma said, handing Takashi a racket.

---Trial 7: Kawamura---

"LET'S GO, BABY!" He swung the racket around frenziedly, feeling invincible like he could take on the world.

"There's no way he can stand Kawamura's incredible strength, the greatest power tennis player in Kantou!"

"That's right. You're nothing!" he pointed accusingly at the piñata.

"BURNING!" Everyone was confident this time, nodding smugly. The piñata was like an eggshell when it came to Seigaku's powerhouse.

_Smack._

The ball smashed against the piñata and blew it away while it spun through the fence and left a considerable hole.

"This is pointless," Ryoma sighed and turned to leave.

"Hey, if it's so easy, you try it!" Momo protested, handing him a racket.

---Trial 8: Echizen---

"Well, here goes."

"Echizen Ryoma is famous for his extremely sharp Twist Serve. Will he prevail while all others have failed?" Kin declared histrionically.

"Che." He tossed the ball into the air and pounded it.

"That's it. The Twist Serve. You did it, o-chibi!" Eiji cheered.

"I wouldn't be too sure about that," Oishi sweatdropped.

"Nani? It only left a mark. Looks like you're no good either," Momo rubbed Echizen's head.

"Itai! That hurts," Ryoma groaned.

"This is not what I planned. Not at all." Kin sighed.

"Yudan sezu ni ikou."

"Ah, buchou?" Everyone turned in surprise to see the birthday boy.

---Trial 9: Tezuka---

'For not even Kawamura's strength to break it, the skin must be incredibly tough. However, there's certainly a weak spot somewhere.'

"Come on, onii-chan! If you can't do it, no one can," Kin cheered.

Entirely confident, he tossed the ball and hit a perfect serve. Everyone stared in anticipation. The ball smashed against the middle, spinning at the seams. The ball fell, but the piñata didn't change at all.

"I told you from the very beginning that this was pointless," Ryoma tilted his hat down.

"Matte, look!" The piñata split in half at the seams into two equal split parts and dozens upon dozens of yellow tennis balls fell out.

"Sugoi, buchou!" everyone exclaimed.

"You're the best, onii-chan!" Kin hit his shoulder. "Well, our amazing buchou wins the prize: a full year's worth of tennis balls!"

"Tennis balls?" Everyone sweatdropped at the sight of an ecstatic Kin.

---20 Minutes Later---

"No peeking, onii-chan! You're cheating," Kin pouted as she covered Tezuka's eyes with her hands.

"3, 2, 1..."

She removed the headband covering his eyes.

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY, BUCHOU!" Everyone cheered heartily. Kin nodded smugly at the wonderful job she had done. The entire room was decorated in green and blue, Tezuka's favorite colors. Confetti, banners, balloons, but the thing was that everyone helped to plan her masterpiece.

Overwhelmed by the attention, he sighed. 'I appreciate what Kin's done, but I'm not cleaning this up.'

"Come on, you've got to open our presents and then there's the cake that Eiji baked!"

"Onii-chan, I even prepared your favorite eel unacha," Kin wrapped her arms around his neck. "Open wide!" She stuffed a bite into his mouth. "How does it taste?" Inwardly, for the first time in a long time, Tezuka smiled. Some people never change.


	9. The Heart of Ginka

Chapter Nine: The Heart of Ginka

**Inner Taro: It's finally here, isn't it? **

**Inner Kin: Ah, the long-awaited Prefectural Tournament, then Kantou, and finally Nationals. It all begins here. **

**Inner Taro: Do you think we stand a chance? **

**Inner Kin: (smacks him) Be optimistic, won't you? Who do you think you're talking to? Just cheer me on! **

**Inner Taro: -.-U **

"Now that I've won the intra-school ranking matches, I'm getting really worried," Kin voiced her concerns to Taro.

"Why? You looked like you were having a lot of fun over there," Taro inquired, trying to cheer her up.

"I've been playing tennis for a month and I've beat them all. That kind of speaks for itself, doesn't it? Michiro Fukushi is still the captain, but he most certainly doesn't act like one," she sighed, "We've got no coach and no manager. Did you now that a few years ago, Ginka was actually well-respected for their tennis team? Now we've just dropped to nothing more than mediocrsy. Well, I suppose, as top-notch potential like Seigaku rise, others have to fall, right?"

"But Kin-chan, you can change that. They have you after all," Taro pointed out.

"I'm already pushing my luck as it is. Although the regulars have accepted me, the other freshmen and juniors throw death glares every time I pass. If I took control, they would murder me," she sighed again. Taro was alarmed. He had never seen Kin so depressed since she failed her semester math exam.

"What was I thinking, going to Ginka? Why didn't I choose a school like Rikkaidai or Hyotei?"

"Cheer up, Kin-chan. I'll help you."

"That's easy for you to say. It's a bother pretending to be you and changing all the time, but I suppose I shouldn't be complaining," she looked down at her homework, biting the tip of her eraser.

"No, Kin-chan, I can't bear to see you like this!" Taro clenched his fists and waved them up and down. "If no one is willing to take control, then _you_ do it. If you don't have their respect, earn their respect. If your older brother was here, what would he do?"

"He'd probably take control of the club, no matter what it takes," she answered grudgingly.

"That's right, and you have to surpass him! Kin, it's time for you to take charge!" Although what Taro was saying was far easier said than done, Kin knew that he was right. For Tezuka, leadership was an off-hand deal by being the best; for Kin, it was nothing more than a reason for headaches. Given the chance, she would just stay home, sleep, eat, relax and watch television all day. However, her jealousy of her brother pushed her to extremes, creating the Kin she is today. If there was something she was passionate about, it would be tennis.

"I'll try, Taro-chan, I'll try my hardest," she smiled, her decision made.

"Don't _try_, Kin-chan, _do_," Taro encouraged.

**Inner Taro: And NEVER give up. **

**Inner Kin: I know that, baka. You don't have to remind _me_. Who do you think you're talking to?**

"I suppose it's past time Fukushi and I have a long discussion."

---The Next Day---

"Listen up, everybody! There's something important Taro and I want to tell you," Fukushi called.

"What is it, buchou? We've got to get to practice," Kiyoshi interrupted, nonchalant.

"We need to elect a vice captain as well as a manager," Kin explained. Ears perked as people stopped in their tracks. 'That got their attention.' "The Prefecturals are coming up and we need someone to keep track. So who's up for manager?"

Blank stares.

"Anyone?" A vein popped out on her forehead.

More blinking.

"No one is willing to make just a little effort?"

Sighing. Walking away.

"Fine then, be that way! I'll be the manager, and Kin-chan here will help," she alleged, putting an arm around his neck.

"Itai, Taro-chan," he said, blushing.

"Now, as for the vice-captain, I think Fukushi-buchou should decide that," she encouraged, nudging the skinny guy who just choked on his water.

"R-right, about that... how about a vote?" he suggested.

"Yosh! Everyone in favor of Kiyoshi, raise their hand," Kiyoshi said, raising his hand enthusiastically. People just rolled their eyes at him.

"Why you all," he clenched his fist, eyebrows twitching.

"Those in favor of Aoki Taro, raise their hand," Fukushi said. "7, 8, 9. Nine votes for you, chibi." Kin smiled full-heartedly, sweatdropping when she realized that even Hiroki was raising his hand. 'If he actually knew I was Kin, I don't think he would have made the same choice.' "Those in favor of Hiroki, raise their hand. Huh, nine votes also. How about we settle this with a match then?"

"A match?" Kin was alarmed. 'Against the first guy I met at tennis club? This'll be interesting.'

"Feeling nervous, neh?" Hiroki tapped his racket on his shoulder.

"Pffth. You're only saying that because you're nervous. Let's have a good match."

"Ah, but you know I'm not going to lose to chibi," he smiled. They got onto court as the umpire started the game.

"One set match. Taro vs. Hiroki."

"You can serve," he offered.

"You sure?"

"I'm sure."

"Here I go," Kin smiled, closing her eyes to calm her nerves. 'Smug today, aren't you? Well, I'll prove you wrong.'

'He's using her left hand,' Hiroki noticed, 'He's serious. There's no backing down now.' Hiroki's special ability was not power tennis like Doumoto or a defensive play like Fukushi. His strength lay in his reliability and hard work. Yet his opponent was something completely different: a newbie who had yet to learn all the grips, but won through sheer unpredictability and ambition.

"15-0."

"N-nani?" Hiroki blinked, glancing at the ball that had rolled by his ankle.

"Sugoi! What an amazingly fast cannonball serve. Who knew chibi was capable of such a thing?" Tashiro commented.

"Oi, Hiroki-senpai, if you don't get your head in the game, it's going to be over before you know it," Kin taunted, preparing for the next serve.

'Not only that, but she's growing alarmingly quickly, but I'm not going to go down without a fight.' After two more service aces, Hiroki finally caught up with her speed and predicted the ball's movement. 'It's heavy.'

_Pok._

"Eh? Serve and volley." Before Hiroki could respond, the ball had already whizzed by the left corner, hitting the baseline exactly. 'What precision. To be able to react so quickly... this guy... Stop panicking, Hiroki, you can do this.'

"Game to Aoki. 1-0. Change courts."

"I'm going to keep my service game, Taro," he said, trying to heighten his concentration and hit a service ace.

---10 Minutes Later---

"Who would've thought we would see such an amazing match in Ginka, of all places," Kiyoshi mused, grinning sadistically.

"Those two are going all out. I wonder what's going on in their minds right now," Doumoto agreed.

"You're wondering, Doumoto-kun? Wow, that's a change," Suzuki teased.

"Teme..."

"Just kidding," Suzuki laughed, but his attention quickly turned to the match at hand.

"Game to Hiroki. 4-3. Change courts."

"What's wrong, chibi? You may as well forfeit now and save yourself the embarrassment," he taunted as they passed.

'This is bad,' Kin thought, 'I'm losing my concentration and my precision, enough to get a double fault and lose my service game. Perhaps it was wrong to go all-out in the beginning.'

"Chibi's lost four games straight," Suzuki pouted, "Come on, chibi! You weren't like this when you beat me!"

'He's right,' Kin thought, 'Somehow, I'm getting distracted.'

"Nani? He's changed to his right hand!" Doumoto gaped.

"Isn't chibi left-handed?" Suzuki frowned.

"No fluking, Taro-kun. It's my game now," Hiroki said as he did a perfect topspin serve.

"Hm." She returned with a two-handed backhand with a sidespin.

Caught off-guard, he ran towards the right corner. 'Yosh, I'll make it.' Suddenly, as the ball bounced, the ball flew towards his right and straight into the fence.

"0-15."

"Whoa! What just happened?"

"Nani? I've never seen anything like that before."

Hiroki was still in shock. "The direction of the ball changed... after it bounced? How is that even possible?"

His reply was a smug smirk and a challenging promise: "I will _break_ you."

Recomposing, she returned to ready position as he recovered. 'Now this is more like the Taro I know... or should I say, Kin?' He smiled. Everything clicked into place. Kin and Taro had been cross dressing- he should have known. Ever since she first arrived on the court the first day, he knew there was something different about her. 'You're brave, kid and you're lucky that I'm not the type of person who blackmails and no one else has figured it out.'

He gulped though, when he realized that she was the same girl who had nearly killed him. Although she looked happy-go-lucky on the outside, there was a monster lurking inside her... with a bloodlust and temper that rivaled the Devil himself. Maybe he should just forfeit or lose quietly, after all, he did prize his life over being vice-captain...

He served again, this time as a slice serve. Reacting to it instinctively, she slammed it with a forehand with pinpoint precision onto the right alley line.

Hiroki suddenly realized what she was doing. 'Chikusho, she knows that I'm slow at reacting to backhands and I'm more of an aggressive baseliner than a volleyer to get that kind of shot. However, the question is this: are you doing this intuitively or consciously? Either way, she's a natural.'

"Look at them. Neither of them are backing down. I would never have thought that Taro would push Hiroki this far though. It looks like chibi can bring out the best in other players as well," Suzuki smiled.

"You just love sounding smart, that's all," Doumoto snickered at him.

"Did you say something?"

"Yada yada."

The match was probably the most interesting event that occurred at Ginka for years. Hiroki was getting worried about the ball that switched directions after the bounce, but it looked like Kin didn't need that technique to keep the onslaught going.

"Game to Aoki Taro. 6-4."

Sweat was rolling down both their faces and they were panting heavily. 'Looks like both of us still need to work on stamina, neh? She isn't getting too far ahead on that,' Hiroki smiled.

"Impressive, both of you," Fukushi commented.

"Chibi, you're really something," Suzuki agreed.

They shook their hands, but what came next surprised everyone.

"Your footwork needs help. You seem to have trouble getting shots aimed at your feet, which limits you to only being an aggressive baseliner. Of course, you and Kiyoshi do specialize in doubles, so it won't be so much of a problem..." Hiroki was amazed. She had figured out his weakness in a single match. 'Not bad for a kid.'

"It was an honor to play with you on even ground, vice-caption Aoki Taro," Hiroki said, bowing low. Kin couldn't help but blush like crazy. A junior was bowing to _her_? Now this was a scenario even Inui would never have predicted.

Having no idea how to react, she laughed maniacally and slapped him on the back, mumbling numerous times that she should be the one saying that.

**Inner Taro: (eyebrows twitching) That girl really needs to get a hold on herself. **

"Well, I can't disagree to that."

---

_May 4 _

_Dear Diary, _

_That was how Kin started to earn her place on Ginka's team- grudgingly at first, but gradually the not-so-talented non-regulars stopped seething in envy and started to accept her as a coach, manager, and vice-captain. However, it's not like the story ended there._

Taro tapped his pencil on the table, vacillating ideas about what he was going to write next.

_At lunch yesterday, she was positively ebullient; I had never seen a happier Kin. She started babbling about being the 'heart of Ginka' or at least sounded like that, but I couldn't hear her clearly because her mouth was running at the speed of light while she was devouring our lunches like bears and honey. Anyways, so I thought that maybe this was kind of like Seigaku's 'pillar of support', right? The Heart of Ginka... it has a ring to it._

_Then I got kind of worried. She was a girl for one thing- if they found out, they'd surely kick her out of the club, and even worse, they'd get disqualified from the tournaments. Not only that, but can she? Can she do it? Can she really defeat Tezuka Kunimitsu? To me, the thought was a distant, intangible dream, but to her, was there some hope in the possible existence? Or was it only a figment of desperation, an anchor to cling to, and a goal to direct her dissonant emotions? Was it wrong to encourage her? By supporting all her hopes and ambitions, was I only inevitably leading her to an impossible future when her dreams are shattered, deemed as nothing but a child's fairytale when reality slams into her face? Is Kin fated to be a queen or was she only led by that illusion, played by Fate as nothing more than a pawn destined to be sacrificed for greater needs? There were so many questions with no answers. Still, I'm constantly plagued by guilt. A part of me will do anything to stop her- it was better to have an indolent, mediocre Kin than to have a crushed, defeated shadow of a girl who was taught a harsh lesson. _

_I know that if Kin knew I was thinking these thoughts, she would slap me. She would tell wake up and get a hold of myself. She would tell me that _of course_ she would surpass her brother; everything I said was nonsense. I would only smile blankly and nod, in admiration of her tenacity and strength. It was mostly my fault, really. I wasn't like Kin- I didn't have her courage or audacity. I was afraid of shattering her dreams as they start to bud, even if it was the right thing to do. _

_I also know that, deep down, (perhaps she doesn't know it herself) she's thinking these thoughts too. _

_Oh god, who am I kidding? It was only tennis, a sport where you hit the ball where your opponent couldn't reach it. A source of entertainment and a way to burn off calories. It's not like a life-or-death crisis or anything. I'm just getting melodramatic and worried. _

_Now I remember something. Ginka's tennis team told her that she was their heart, right? They had faith in her too. Perhaps I should do the same thing and give her my full-hearted support... oh, I don't know. I don't know what to do, but I pray that it'll turn out all right._

He sighed. He tucked the diary away in the corner of his desk, safe from any pondering eyes that may come along. If Kin caught this diary, he was as good as dead.

---Next Day---

"What are you saying? Taro-chan, you worry too much," Kin smiled, putting her arm around his neck. "Things have a tendency to turn out all right. There's no use in stressing about it when you can only tackle the problem then and there when it hasn't happened yet."

"But Kin-chan, you can tackle your math homework right now," Taro chuckled nervously.

"Y-you didn't have to remind me," she growled.

"G-gomen?" he sweatdropped.

"Well, I suppose that's why there's you. If it wasn't for you, I'd be the world's greatest procrastinator," she sighed, her mind now machinating on a way to cheat off of Taro. "Oh yeah, I almost forgot. I created a training routine for each regular, including me. You want to look at it?"

"Sure," he blinked, surprised. A training routine? She was serious when she said she would be the new coach. "Everyone has to run 10 kilometers a day? Kin-chan, isn't that a little extreme?"

"What's extreme? Only extremes will help us improve, after all. Not only that, but on Wednesdays we're going to join the track team. Even Suzuki, who's the sprinter of Ginka, has to work on stamina."

"Everyone has to go to the weight room too..." Taro read.

"That's right. Fukushi's practically anorexic. I bet I could jab him and he'd fall," she mumbled.

"Perhaps you shouldn't talk about captain like that," Taro scratched his head.

"I'll talk about him any way I like."

"On Thursdays you work on their weaknesses. Hiroki- footwork, Suzuki- stamina, Kiyoshi- backhands, Tashiro- approaching the net, Doumoto- precision, Itsuki- speed and reflexes, Fukushi- attitude?"

"Ah, he's our captain. He needs to set the example," Kin nodded.

"Your name's not on here," Taro noticed.

"That's because I already know what I need to work on," Kin replied, sauntering off to get a drink of water.

**Inner Taro: For some reason I already know her routine isn't going to be easily enforced, to say the least. **

"Well, I agree with you there," Taro concurred.

---At Practice---

"Are you... trying to... kill us?" Kiyoshi asked between fervent gasps.

"Time: 1:49. Still not good enough. Fukushi-buchou, you can take a break. You made it to 1:29. The rest of you, keep running!" Kin shouted, handing Fukushi his water bottle. He drank deeply and threw the towel over his face, breathing deeply.

"It sure is hot out today, neh?" he commented through the towel.

"Since when did buchou become a weather analyst? Just wait until the summer," Kin replied. "One minute!"

"I never thought that you would be such a hard taskmaster," he mumbled.

"Runs in the family," she retorted, smiling as she thought of Tezuka's trademark phrase: '20 laps. Now.' They hadn't even run 10.

"Look at Doumoto. He's ready to drop. How about you give him a break?" Fukushi hinted.

"It's your call. You're captain," she shrugged, grimacing at the recorded times. Doumoto's best time was 2:45. Not good. Although he had strength, what use was that if he was ready to collapse from exhaustion after the third three games? Fukushi, probably the lightest one here, was doing rather well, but he was still as lazy as always. Unsurprisingly, Hiroki had made the best of the training, since he was probably the only one here with a work ethic. 'Including me,' Kin thought, 'I'm just merciless.'

**Inner Kin: Merciless is an understatement. More like sadist. **

'Well, how else can I compete with onii-chan?'

"Time! Hiroki: 1:32. You can take a break. Check if Suzuki-kun is back yet. Why are you two lounging there? There's still five more laps to run!" She shooed them away from the benches and they grudgingly started the next lap, simmering in irritation. Who was this freshman to order them around when she wasn't exercising herself? What a hypocrite.

"We should teach him a lesson," Tashiro mumbled in Kiyoshi's ear.

"Like how?"

---Later---

Kin was exhausted but smug for the day. They had finished three days' worth of training and it was already evident in its success... if they could only keep it up. Perserverance was definitely not of Ginka's strongest traits.

After she was done lauding them, she entered the locker room and her heart skipped a beat. It looked like her locker had been ravaged by a pack of wolves. Her clothes were torn, her water bottle missing, and her racket's strings slashed. This was her first personal racket that Tezuka had bought for her with his own money as a gift. She glanced at the ruined uniform, tears swelling in her eyes in frustration. Obviously there were people here who didn't appreciate her effort and leadership. She had been training and working her butt off for the past week. And for what? Inner Kin started to curse at them, but Kin didn't care.

'I'm not going to let them get the best of me. I'm not.'

"Kin-chan..." Taro entered the room, shocked at the torn fabric in her hands. "Suminasen. What happened?"

"Everyone here hates me, don't they? Even if they don't scream to my face, I know they're gossiping lies about me behind my back," she mumbled mordantly.

"Kin-chan, of course not. Everyone here respects you, especially Hiroki and Fukushi. How can you say that?" Taro rushed to comfort her, but the damage had already been done.

"Obviously not the people who did this," she dropped the uniform and picked up her bag. To her surprise, everything fell out and crashed onto her feet. She stared at her feet through an oval-cut hole. "Dirty, aren't they?"

"Kin-chan, you can't give up now. They're just jealous, that's all. You're the heart of Ginka, remember?" Taro rushed behind her.

"Don't give me that bull. If they don't want me here, be that way. I'm done here." She ran off with her stuff in her arms, blinking back tears, ignoring Taro's protesting shouts behind her.

---The Next Week---

"Kin, you haven't been at practice for a week," Hiroki caught her by her locker.

"I don't know what you're talking about," she muttered, slamming her locker and swiftly walking down the other end of the hall.

"I know who you are. Taro and you have been cross dressing. I'm not an idiot. So what made you quit? Did someone kill your brother? Did the rest of the tennis club beat you to a pulp?" Kin didn't reply. 'The guts of this guy... how dare he mock her like this?' He knew the answer to his question.

"Oh, I see, you're just giving up because someone gave you the welcoming ritual, didn't they?" he scoffed, tailing her unrelentingly.

"You know who did it?" She stopped in her tracks, her face impassive.

"Kiyoshi and Tashiro," he answered automatically.

"You know this how? Did you watch them and do nothing?"

"So what if I did?" he challenged, not backing down from her mordant stare of hatred, "What can I say? Ginka isn't exactly the school with the most sportmanship."

"I kinda figured that out by myself," she retorted caustically.

"We're just a bunch of lazy asses who just happens to stumble upon someone who's actually passionate around here. If you're going to drop and stoop to our level just because of something pathetic, you don't deserve to be on the tennis club anyway. I was wrong about you, Kin. You're no more than the heart of Ginka than Kiyoshi. Get lost, kid. I don't want to see your face ever again."

Kin was furious. Did he not tell her that she had potential just a week ago? Did he not bow in front of her and tell her that it was an honor to play her?

"How would you know how I feel? You weren't the one who was sabotaged. I mean, seriously, after everything I've done for you, is a little appreciation too much to ask for?"

"Who asked you to do anything for us? We're more than content to be mediocre," Hiroki fought back, and this argument started getting heated.

"Then you'll stay that way, no matter what I do. I can't bear to work with people who don't care about anything. You guys are hopeless."

"Like I said, we're just lazy asses. But you," he jabbed a finger on her forehead, "are even worse. You have the potential to change us, but the tiniest bit of conflict rose and you gave up without a second thought. How did you expect us to react? Kiss your feet and swoon like you're some kind of goddess?"

"You don't want to make me kill you again, do you?" Her voice was alarmingly low. She had trouble sleeping recently and her grades were slipping. Today was not a day to mess with her.

"It's not me you need to kill, Kin. It's the attitude of Ginka's tennis club."

"Easier said than done. If you have such a big mouth, why don't you try?" She walked away into her classroom just as the bell rang. Hiroki was already late for class, but he couldn't care less.

"Because I'm not Tezuka Kin," he responded just within her earshot. With that, he disappeared and Kin was left simmering in a very irascible and very perplexed mood.


	10. Ginka vs Daishi

Chapter 10: Ginka vs. Daishi

**Inner Taro: Daishi? Never heard of them. **

**Inner Kin: (sighs) Good thing too...**

So Kin learned her lesson. Sure, stubbornly, self-righteously and petulantly, but she eventually accepted the fact that Hiroki's use of reverse psychology was very effective on her. Now she looked at her coaching job in a new view: a challenge that often triggered massive migraines, but a necessary obstacle on her way to Tezuka's downfall.

To get the regulars to work for her, she used two very useful methods: bribing and blackmail. The winner gets free lunch and the loser has to stay longer to practice. Either way, it was a win-win situation for the tennis club, but it was digging a hole in her wallet.

"Guys, I've decided who will play the matches in the preliminary rounds of the Prefectural Tournament," she announced nervously.

"Hontou? Let me see," Suzuki grabbed the paper, but she pulled it back.

"Listen carefully. Doubles Two- Suzuki and Doumoto. Doubles One- Kiyoshi and Hiroki. Singles Three- Tashiro. Singles Two- Me. Singles One- Fukushi."

"AAAHHH? I'm playing doubles with this baka? You got to be kidding m-" Suzuki started, pointing accusingly at an exploding Doumoto.

"Who're you calling a baka, baka?"

"You, obviously! You couldn't-"

Everyone sighed. "Doumoto's strength compliments Suzuki's speed. As long as you guys aren't killing each other, you'll do well," Kin explained to no avail.

"Fat chance of that," Kiyoshi scoffed at the sight of them picking a fight every five minutes.

"Well, I'm counting on you two, Kiyoshi-senpai, Hiroki-senpai," she smiled as they slapped hands.

"Don't worry, we aren't them," Hiroki smiled, "It's just good to have you back again." When the rest weren't watching, he whispered in her ear. "Psst, it may not look like it, but Tashiro and Kiyoshi were actually pretty guilty about what they did. He told me to apologize for him."

"Gomen, apology not accepted. If they really are sorry, they'd come to my face and apologize, but it's nice to know," she smiled, doubting the validity of his statements.

"It was getting lonely around here without you. I think everyone would agree," Fukushi added, putting an elbow on Hiroki's shoulder.

"I'M NOT ON THE LIST!" Itsuki exclaimed, a waterfall of tears cascading off of his cheeks.

"Gomenasai, Itsuki-senpai, but you're just going to have to be a reserve."

"What he means is that your training results weren't spectacular," Fukushi explained.

"Train harder and you can replace Tashiro, okay?" she smiled encouragingly, a tinge of guilt filling her.

"Ha, as if that's ever going to happen," Tashiro waved his tennis racket in his face. Itsuki huddled in the corner, a melancholic aura clinging to his clothes with a raining cloud overhead. "D-do you think I went too far?" Tashiro frowned.

---The First Day---

"So that's the team we're facing? Pffth, they look like losers to me," a tall guy with shoulder-length red hair snickered.

"Hey, who're you calling a loser?" Tashiro called, clutching a fist.

"Calm down, Tashiro-senpai. You'll be able to crush them on the tennis court," Kin said, putting a hand on his shoulder.

"Hmph. So this is your coach? He's so tiny." An enormous guy with a potbelly looked down at Kin and she gulped. Hard. "I'm playing singles two. Nice to meet you, kid."

Another gulp. The guy was practically shielding all the sunlight.

"Ah, you too," she sweatdropped.

"Good luck, Taro-kun," Hiroki forced himself to twitch his lips up, and everyone on the team was glad that they weren't facing him.

"Doubles Two will now begin. I repeat, doubles two will now begin. For Ginka, Doumoto and Suzuki please step up. For Daishi, Kyo and Masuyo will begin," the umpire declared.

"Remember everything that I taught you guys, okay? Just..." She waved her arms wildly, unsure of what to say. "Get out there and have fun, all right?" Everyone looked at her weirdly and Tashiro whistled in amusement.

**Inner Kin: Have fun? Where did that come from? Since when did Kin's tents of tennis change from 'I've got to beat onii-chan even if I die' to 'just have fun'? **

'You be quiet.'

"Whatever," Doumoto muttered as he took off his sweatshirt and approached the baseline.

"Matte," Suzuki cried as he ran to the service line.

"Doumoto to serve," the umpire declared.

"I'll give you a taste of my power serve!"

'No, Doumoto, stop! I told you specifically not to use your power serve at the beginning because it takes up too much stamina!' She buried her head in her arms as they won the first point. If she was alone, she would be slapping her head against concrete right now.

**Inner Kin: Since when did they listen to you?**

Kin closed her eyes as felt her insides squirm in apprehension and waves of heat pass through her body. Even thought she wasn't even the one playing, she touched the back of her neck and was surprised that it was completely covered in sweat.

"3-1. Daishi leads."

'What am I doing here? Ginka's hopeless. I'm a girl pretending to be a guy leading a pathetically hopeless tennis club that won't listen to me. I can give you an entire list full of reasons why I should not be doing this. WHY AM I HERE?'

**Inner Kin: How pathetic. Now that you've made it this far, you've having a panic attack. Calm down, Kin. It's not the end of the world. Didn't you tell them to 'just have fun'?**

'Are you saying I should just enjoy myself and hope for the best?'

**Inner Kin: Isn't that what you just told them? Girl, you're still 'mada mada dane.'**

'Then how about you do something more constructive than run your mouth at me?'

**Inner Kin: Then let's start cheering.**

'Cheering? The bench coach doesn't cheer.'

**Inner Kin: Then don't be bench coach. Duh. You need to blow off some steam.**

She was amazed to look down at her sweaty palms and realize that there was blood on her nails from clutching her hand so hard.

"GINKA! Ginka! Ginka! Ginka!" a familiar voice came from behind her.

"Taro-chan?" she muttered barely audibly, surprised to see her cheerful best friend.

"Ginka! Ginka! Ginka! Doumoto! Suzuki!" he shouted, smiling at her.

**Inner Kin: You know, he's right.**

'Arigatou, Taro-chan. You're right. If I don't believe in them, what am I doing here? I have to believe in them.'

"5-1. Daishi leads."

"What was that, baka? How could you miss such a shot?" Doumoto grabbed Suzuki's collar, slamming his racket to the ground.

"Then why didn't you get it, baka?"

"That's enough!" She stood up from the bench and stared at them with glinting eyes. 'It's time for me to act like a bench coach.' "A proper doubles pair doesn't argue. Here, you guys." She handed both of them their bottles and towels. "You're doing well."

Both of them nearly choked at her last words.

"_We're doing well?_ We've lost the last five points," Suzuki snorted. 'What had gotten into this guy today?'

"Look, Doumoto-senpai and Suzuki-senpai, _look at me_." They stared back at her blankly, surprised to see her tone change from aloof to professional. "Everyone, take a deep breath." She inhaled and exhaled deeply several times, calming her jumping nerves and covering her doubts. "Tell me, you two, do you believe you can win this game?"

"With this guy?" Suzuki shook his head.

"What do you mean 'this guy'? If it wasn't for you, I would've won a long time ago," Doumoto glared at him.

"Stop arguing. You're going to accomplish nothing. Do you really believe that you can win this match?"

They glanced at each other and turned away.

"I see then. If you have no belief in yourself and your partner, why are you on the court at all? Umpire, Ginka decides to forfeit this match," she declared.

"NANI? Are you crazy? We're not forfeiting! The game's not over yet," Doumoto and Suzuki protested.

"What's the point to keep on playing if you don't think you can win? The result's going to be the same anyway. We're just wasting everyone's time."

"Do you wish to forfeit?" the umpire asked them.

"IIE!" they both screamed in unison.

A vein bulged in Kin's head as she exploded in anger. "If you plan on continuing, then _you have to win this match._ No ifs, no excuses, nothing. If you lose, I'm kicking you out of the club. I'm sure Itsuki would be delighted to replace you both."

"Are you crazy? You can't kick us out of the tennis club," Doumoto protested, grabbing her shirt.

"Well, look at that. Internal fighting, neh? This game's already ours. Hurry up, kids," the captain taunted from the other side, but no one heard him.

"I can and I _will_ unless you win this game," she crossed her arms stubbornly.

"We can't win five points in a row," Suzuki fought.

"Then forfeit."

"Teme..." Trapped, Suzuki put a hand on Doumoto's shoulder. "Let's ignore her. She's cuckoo today. Besides, it's your service game. We can win this point, but how we're going to win the next three points I don't know."

They returned to court, avoiding her gaze. "You know you can't win with one lucky serve," her flat voice reminded behind them.

"Damare!" they snapped at her. She sat back down, smiling, blinking back tears. Her boys Suzuki and Doumoto were growing. A month ago, they would have forfeited without a second thought. Now they were on the courts, displaying Ginka's pride and playing to their hearts' content.

**Inner Kin: That was a little harsh, don't you think?**

'They have to learn to believe in themselves before they can expect anyone else to believe in them.'

**Inner Kin: True, but a little support couldn't have hurt, right?**

'I'm not spoon-feeding them. That's not my teaching style.'

"2-5. Daishi leads."

They returned to benches after an entire game of service aces.

"Not bad, Doumoto-senpai. You should take it easy and reserve your stamina. Doubles is not a game of power, but rather of control. Perhaps it's time to use a formation, neh? You guys did endure merciless training from me," she licked her lips. Now the game was starting.

"Ready to kick ass, Suzuki-san?" Doumoto smirked broadly.

"Hm. I was waiting for you to say it." Kin sighed with relief. Now they were starting to act like a doubles pair.

When they returned to the court, Suzuki stood on the center hash mark while Doumoto stood directly on the service line in front of him.

"Australian Formation?" the opponent blinked in surprise.

"Nope, 'I' Formation," his partner corrected.

The opponent served, and Doumoto feigned a hard cross court, but he missed the ball and instead Suzuki appeared behind him and slammed it into the empty side.

"0-15."

"Chikusho, I can't decide which way they're going," Kyo muttered.

Kin closed her eyes as the formation worked successfully. The I-Formation worked well because it was fairly deceptive. The partners' playing styles were completely different, so they had to prepare for both of them. Suzuki was a fast sprinter while Doumoto hit hard, but often inaccurate balls. While Doumoto overwhelmed them with his strength, Suzuki covered for the balls he couldn't reach. Kin had spent hours of frustration (and screaming) teaching Doumoto how to do volleys and drop shots, but eventually relented when everything ended up becoming a power game.

"5-4. Daishi leads."

The strategy worked for three games, but now there was an increasing problem: Suzuki's stamina. Suzuki had been running continuously for 20 minutes now, and the opponents were taking advantage of this.

"Game and match to Daishi. 6-4."

"Gomenasai, Taro-san. I couldn't keep up," Suzuki buried his head in his towels between fervent pants.

"It's fine. You guys did great," Kin smiled, glowing in pride. At least they knew what to work on: Doumoto's accuracy and Suzuki's endurance.

"You're not kicking us out of the club? I'm relieved," Doumoto said sarcastically. Kin just smiled cheerfully.

"Not too shabby, Mr. Powerhouse," Kiyoshi commented, "It's a pity that you can't control your shots or else you might have won."

"Save your energy for the court, Kiyoshi-senpai. I'm counting on you two."

'You guys are my only hope because if you don't, I won't even get to play.'

**Inner Kin: Don't worry. Kiyoshi may be a selfish jerk who sexually harasses girls, but Hiroki's more than enough to back him up.**

'I hope you're right.'

**Inner Kin: Of course I'm right.**

'I'm sorry to break it to you, but self-denial and telling lies are not healthy habits.'

**Inner Kin: Excuse me? Who's the one in self-denial?**

To everyone's surprise around her, she chuckled softly. This day was turning out to be more interesting than she ever expected. This was her first day ever being a serious competitor in a sports tournament. It was not only a test for her club's tennis skills; rather, for Kin, it became a psychological challenge of proving the fact that she, like Tezuka, could become the heart of the world they were passionate about.

'Leadership is a nuisance, isn't it?'

**Inner Kin: To you, yes. However, it's also bringing out the best in you. Imagine if you were doing the same thing in your math class.**

'...Please don't get graphic on me now.'


	11. Hospital Visits

Chapter 11: Hospital Visits

**Inner Taro: Good luck, Kin-chan! I'm pulling for you!**

**Inner Kin: (teeth chattering too hard to reply) **

**Inner Taro: -.-U**

"Game to Ginka. Five games all," the referee alleged, "Change courts."

'Come on, Hiroki-senpai and Kiyoshi-senpai! I believe in you guys, unlike the last two. If you don't win here, then I won't even get to play!' She locked her fingers together, praying for at least one win.

**Inner Kin: Why did you even put yourself on Singles Two anyway? Why not singles three?**

'Did you really think that anyone else would be able to pull off singles two?'

**Inner Kin: Well, I see your point.**

'It would be incredibly humiliating if we lost here, wouldn't it?'

**Inner Kin: WE ARE NOT GOING TO LOSE! I can't believe I'm hearing blasphemy from you. Whose side are you on, anyway?**

'Gomen, just being realistic... Well, this'll be more encouragement for training. Even now, I can see that they're more driven.'

Kin's eyes focused on the match before her. Hiroki and Kiyoshi were clearly exhausted, but no more than their opponents.

_Pok. _

_Screech. _

_Hit._

**Inner Kin: How long does this freakin' rally have to go on? I'm getting dizzy just by watching.**

'11, 12, 13, 14...' Kin gave no response. Inner Kin was a bit alarmed to find that her eyes were glued to the ball and her pupils were contracted. To Kin, nothing else but the game existed.

Everything slowed down like as if she was seeing this in slow motion movie. Kin could see the beads of sweat sparkle in the air as the rackets hit the tennis ball back and forth, back and forth.

'There! There's a blind spot!' Her chest heaved in anticipation as Hiroki hit the ball, but it landed slightly too much to the left. 'Hiroki, don't flick your wrist like that!' Still, it was enough. They won the point and cheers erupted.

The numbers were meaningless to her. There was only a ball, a net, a court and four players. In her magnified vision, she founds holes in their plays, weaknesses in their techniques and errors in their forms. Suddenly, for a split second, she saw the ball's future path. Hiroki was planning to lure the back into leaving the left side open for Kiyoshi to do a volley.

'No, their plan is not going to work.' Transfixed, she realized that was exactly what the opponent was hoping to do. 'Don't fall into their trap!' As bench coach, she was helpless. She could only watch as the game played out exactly as she predicted to the extent of the exact angle of the bounce or the number of shots in a rally. In her extended foresight, she also realized something else: their defeat was imminent and inevitable.

"Game and match to Daishi. 7-6," the referee declared.

She drew a sharp gasp as she finally inhaled after holding her breath for what seemed like minutes.

**Inner Kin: Holy... You're creeping me out. I was screaming my head off the entire last game. You didn't hear me, did you?**

'Say what?' She felt light-headed as her concentration dissipated and her vision blurred.

**Inner Kin: You tennis freak! Give me back my Kin! If the game had gone on any longer, I would have suffocated to death.**

'What are you maundering about?'

"Suminasen. I tried my best, but they were always a step ahead of us," Hiroki gasped, drenching his head in water.

"It's fine," she stuttered, clutching the bench as a wave of nausea passed over her. It was still a shock to recover from that eerie tennis trance she was immersed in moments ago.

"Hiroki, your footwork has gotten better, but you've still got to work on small steps so you don't waste excess energy," she told him almost mechanically.

"Kiyoshi, your backhand got weaker as the game prolonged and you continuously missed the sweet spot, and, as you noticed, a target for your opponent. This was also a big reason why Hiroki-senpai is so fatigued, covering for you. If your arm was getting tired, you could have done it two-handed." They were too tired to reply; they barely recognized the advice by a sharp nod of their heads.

"Tashiro-senpai," she placed a hand on his shoulder, "I'm counting on you."

"Daishi! Daishi! Daishi!" the opposing crowd cheered, their spirits raised by two consecutive wins. One more win and the victory was theirs.

"Geez, they're too loud. It's the first game in the Prefecturals, after all," Taro pouted from behind her. He ran up to her, grinning nervously. "Ginka's doing great. I would never be able to pull off anything like this."

"Are you kidding me? One more game and we're done," she scoffed.

"Winning or losing doesn't matter. You proved your skills as a coach, and you brought up Ginka's level tremendously."

"Well, I suppose optimism never killed anybody, right? Onii-chan should follow that rule too," she smiled. Taro always seemed to be able to cheer her up.

"Singles Three will now begin. I repeat: Singles Three will now begin."

Tashiro's knees were knocking in nervousness. He couldn't believe it. He was actually playing a match in substitution for Itsuki. He gulped, but his palms wouldn't stop sweating and his wrist couldn't stop shaking.

"What is that baka doing? He's standing on the service line. Oi, Tashiro-san! Stop daydreaming about your crush already!" Kiyoshi called. Tashiro flushed to the shade of a lobster as he jittered and turned around.

'If I lose, Ginka loses. If Ginka loses, I've failed everybody. No, I-I can't let that happen. Taro-kun chose me over Itsuki. I have to win. I have to...'

A wave of cold sweat washed over him. His opponent served and he ran to meet the ball, but he realized that he couldn't move. His racket dropped from his grip and fell painfully onto the court.

"15-love."

"Oi, Tashiro! What's wrong with you?" Tashiro tried to retrieve it, but he only ended up collapsing to his knees, his body wracked in shivers. 'What's wrong with me? My body won't obey me.'

"TASHIRO!" Kin's voice cut through his consciousness as he sat there, paralyzed. "Calm down, Tashiro-senpai. Just do your best."

"Do my best... hai, Taro-kun," he grasped his racket, his knees wobbly as he rose. 'Just do my best. No one can ask for more.'

He recollected himself, finally getting over his initial stage fright. Brimming with feigned confidence, he pointed a finger at his opponent and started to taunt and swear at him.

"Ha! You're nothing but a pile of crap-"

"Tashiro-senpai! You're going to get a penalty for profane language," Kin called, but Tashiro showed no hint of hearing her.

"-kick your mama's ass!"

Suddenly his opponent got extraordinarily angry. His own teammates visibly flinched in apprehension.

"That stupid kid... he's done it now," their bench coach cringed. His opponent roared like a madman and screamed as he tossed the ball into the air. Before anyone could do anything, he smashed the ball at the speed of light and it flew directly at Tashiro's face. Panicking, the bewildered Tashiro screamed, not knowing what to do.

SMASH!

His scream was cut off in mid-breath as his saliva came flying everywhere. In slow motion, his body fell in into a mangled heap, his racket skidding to a halt.

**Inner Kin: Itai.**

"Oh my god," Kin rose from her seat and ran to him, cursing softly. She turned Tashiro's body over, disgusted to find a broken nose with a waterfall of blood.

**Inner Kin: That's... macabre.**

"Medic! Somebody get the medic! He's knocked unconscious," she screamed.

No one moved. Everyone just blinked and frowned at Tashiro's twitching corpse. She screamed again and everyone scampered.

---20 Minutes Later---

Kin collapsed on the bench. Could things have gotten any worse? Tashiro was now hospitalized, and they were likely to be disqualified.

'Good going, Tashiro-senpai. Just great.' She covered her eyes with her hands. Although Tashiro was well on the way to the hospital with the rest of the tennis team tagging behind him, the sirens still echoed in her ears. Fukushi and her were forced to stay due to lack of space in the car, but she knew that the team was just hoping for the best.

'Remind me to give Tashiro a stage fright test before I put him on court again, okay?'

**Inner Kin: You got it.**

'Who am I joking? With players like Tashiro, how can I even hope to compete with onii-chan? For goodness sakes, he got a panic attack and got knocked out before the second point. Compare that to Fuji-kun, Momo-chan, Kaidoh-kun or Inui-kun. The difference is like between a toddler and an adult.'

"I will now release the sentence. Ginka's member provoked the other player, which ended in an injury that cannot be continued in 15 minutes. This ordinarily would end in a disqualification for both teams, but because I had never officially declared a first offense, this shall be a win for Ginka."

Kin's mouth gaped open and she laughed deliriously. The game counted as a win? Wow, what luck. That meant she was still playing. If she and Fukushi won, that meant that they had a chance of continuing. Hope inundated her as her confidence brimmed.

'Nice going, Tashiro-senpai.'

"Singles Two will now begin. I repeat: singles two will now begin," the referee announced.

Anticipation bubbled inside her. Smiling, she clutched her racket. It was new, and she frowned to see a few scratch marks. 'That Itsuki must have borrowed it for practice. I'll get him.' The new grip tape had been a present from Tezuka. This way, she felt like as if her brother was behind her, supporting her.

"Aoki Taro to serve."

Her body was sweating in zeal, ready and hoping for something. It was a strange feeling, really. She had never felt quite like this before. It wasn't just excitement, it was expectation... for something great from herself. It was kind of like when she knew she was going to ace a test at school (not at math, obviously) and prove herself.

"You're going down," she licked her lips. She had not properly warmed herself up either; she had been far too pre-occupied earlier about Tashiro's injury. It didn't matter. This match was already in her hands.

"Did you say something?" her opponent grunted. He was three heads' taller and twice as wide. She guessed that he weighed twice as much as she did, perhaps even more. Playing him was like playing a person with Doumoto's tripled strength.

_Gulp._

**Inner Kin: Good luck, kid. What happened to that good feeling you had in you a moment ago?**

'I took that back.'

She tossed the ball into the air and smashed it down.

"Taro! Taro! Taro!" her best friend's cheers made her smile as she received a service ace.

"15-love."

'That guy's strong, but he probably specializes in power tennis. However, being big means being slower as well. As long as he can't touch the ball, I'll be fine.'

_Pok._

Roaring in intimidation, he brought his racket to meet the ball.

_Pok. _

_SMASH!_

Something whizzed past her head at the speed of light. "W-what was that?" She jerked her head back slowly to see the ball spinning and making a considerable hole on the fence behind her. Her eye had spasms, not believing what she had just seen.

'If that ball had hit me, I'd be in the same ward as Itsuki right now. Yosh. I just can't let the guy touch the ball. I have to force him to miss or hit out, but that's a lot easier said than done.'

As she served, she aimed for his backhand, but he returned it all the same.

'Chikusho... it's heavy.' She managed to return it with a weak cross court shot. With two mighty steps, he reached it and a gust whizzed past her ear.

"Out. 15-all."

'It was out? It was such an easy shot.' She smirked. Maybe she had a chance after all.

_Serve. _

_Smash. _

_Clink._

"Out! 30-15."

'I just have to hit soft balls in easily returnable areas. However, I don't know how long I can fool this guy.'

"Game to Ginka. One game to love."

"Nice going, Taro-chan!" she heard Taro cheer from the fence. "That's it!"

"Chikusho! It's payback time," her opponent pointed at her, roaring.

**Inner Kin: Uh-oh.**

The ball from the serve collided with her tennis racket. Overwhelmed by the sheer power of the serve, the racket flew from her grip as the ball spun to the fence.

'This is bad. As long as he has a power serve like this, I can't touch his service game at all. When I played Doumoto, he got exhausted after the third game so I managed to win a game, but this guy...'

"Game to Daishi. One game all."

'Since I can't touch his service game, that means I can't lose mine either, or else the match is his.'

_Serve. _

_Smash. _

_Clink. _

_POK! _

"Love-15. Ginka to serve."

'What? He returned a soft ball? Looks like he's gotten used to it, huh? The guy doesn't look very bright. Maybe I can outwit him?'

_Serve._

"Ehh? She's approaching the net?"

_Smash._

"Drop volley!"

"15 all."

"Taro-san is getting serious, neh?" Fukushi mused, smiling. 'That little guy's full of surprises.'

She served again, but this one ended in a long rally. She kept on switching from soft and hard hits, keeping him guessing to prevent him from hitting hard shots and making him run around.

"Mind games, Taro? Just how long can you keep this up?"

---15 Minutes Later---

"Game to Daishi. Six games to five."

Kin collapsed onto her knees as beads of sweat fell on the court. She felt like she just ran a marathon- screw it, ten marathons. Honestly, she had never been more fatigued in her life. She couldn't feel a thing in her left arm, except for the occasional stab of pain. Then she realized that her arm had gone numb as thousands of imaginary needles started jabbing her.

"Hang in there, Taro-chan! You can win this."

'Maybe I should just forfeit or give up. I feel like I'm going to drop any moment now.'

**Inner Kin: Excuuusssseee me? Who was the one who was insistent on playing tennis now? You go and kick his butt before I kick yours.**

'You're welcome to do that.'

**Inner Kin: Kin-chan! No, you have to- Kin-chan? Kin-chan! Don't fail on me now!**

Taro gasped and gaped in astonishment as Kin collapsed onto the ground, motionless. "Get up, Taro-chan! Don't scare me like this!"

---At the Hospital---

The doctor blinked at the dozing girl before him. She had collapsed from heat stroke and dehydration. She had pushed herself to the absolute limits- and for what? Playing on a boys' tennis team? Obviously her team did not know yet. They flocked around her and the other unconscious teammate, Tashiro, was it? How was the doctor exactly going to break it to them, he didn't know.

"Nani? You scratched Taro-kun's racket, Itsuki?" Suzuki eyed him accusingly.

"It wasn't on purpose. Tashiro dared me to use his racket and I accidentally had a little incident..." Itsuki defended quickly, sweatdropping.

"Ahem," the doctor cleared his throat. "Both of your friends will be all right. They'll be released this evening, but there's something I have to tell you."

"Your coach here, Aoki Taro, is femal-" Hiroki slapped his hands on the doctor's mouth and dragged him out of the room. He whispered in the doctor's ear, "You will tell absolutely no one or else I'll snap this neck of yours, neh?" The doctor nodded fervently, his eyes dilated in fear.

"Good." Without wasting another second, the doctor darted out of the room before any of the other teammates could even realize what happened.

"Mendokusu..." Hiroki sighed. 'I can't keep this a secret forever. But if that doctor told anyone, we would be immediately disqualified, and I can't let that happen.'

"What was that all about? I never knew that you were so violent, Hiroki-kun," Itsuki blinked.

"Guys, there's something I have to tell you. However, you have to promise me that you'll never tell anyone this and you'll keep it down," Hiroki's eyes darted to Kin's unconscious form.

"Come on, Hiroki-chan, you're killing us. It can't be that bad, can it?" Kiyoshi smirked and jugged down a bottle of water.

Hiroki didn't know how to say it nicely. He only hoped Kin would forgive him. He pointed to Kin. "He's a girl."

"NANI?!"

Kiyoshi coughed and choked as the water ran from the bottle. He couldn't believe his ears. Still, the water had gone down the wrong way.

"Kiyoshi-san? Ah, someone get the doctor! He's choking to death. I don't know how to do CPR!" Doumoto frowned, shaking Kiyoshi around like a doll.

"Baka! CPR's not for regurgitating," Hiroki corrected.

"It isn't?"

---The Next Day---

"Senpai, you guys are acting really weird today. Daijoubu?" Kin asked, forcing herself to smile, but her lips only ended up twitching erratically. "I-I know you guys are upset at me for losing the match and letting everybody done. I'm really, really sorry. I don't know-"

"It's fine," Fukushi placed a hand on her shoulder. "We're proud of you. You gave it all you got."

"Yeah, but thanks to me, we didn't make it through the preliminary matches in the Prefectural tournament."

"That's not true," Fukushi said, his eyes glinting dangerously.

"What do you mean?"

"Daishi was disqualified, because it turns out that Takeo, the one Taro was facing, was on steroids. We've automatically advanced," he confessed.

"NANI? Steroids?" Everyone gaped at him. "You didn't tell us this before?"

"I wanted it to be a surprise, but I guess that didn't work," he pouted but wore a proud smile.

'Wow. First Tashiro gets hit in the face, and then I collapse from exhaustion because I was against a guy on _steroids_? Did anything like this happen to you, onii-chan? I doubt it. I don't know whether to laugh or cry.'

**Inner Kin: Don't you feel special.**

"You guys know what this means, right?" Kin's lips twisted into a smirk. 'Now this is more like it.'

"You can't be serious! I just got out of the hospital," Tashiro desperately tried to find some excuse.

"Uh-uh," she waved her finger around, "Tripled training."

"TRIPLED? Taro-kun, you're cruel!"

Review, neh?


	12. The Sato Method

Well, this is an okay filler chapter, I suppose. I'll try to spread the character attention more evenly. Do you guys want to see more of Tezuka? Taro? Hiroki?

Chapter 12: The Sato Method

**Inner Kin: Sato? That sounds familiar. **

**Inner Taro: It should. If only you'd pay more attention to history class... **

**Inner Kin: Oh, right, that famous racer, right? What's his name, Tumi, Taki... **

**Inner Taro: Sato Takumo? **

**Inner Kin: That's the one! **

**Inner Taro: Why do I even bother with you? -.-U **

A book dropped on Taro's head as he passed the bookshelves. "Itai." He instinctively suspected that Kin, as always, miraculously and capriciously appeared from thin air and dumped the book on his head. However, this time, she was nowhere in sight. Probably still recuperating from the guilt of losing the match.

He picked up the book he had dropped and put it back where it fell. As he was walking away, he realized that the title of the book included 'tennis.' Walking backwards, he picked it up again. He brushed off the dust and read the title: Lessons of Tennis by Masanosuke Fukuda. 'How ironic.' He opened to a random page and read the little blurb.

"This is the only one ball!

Therefore, you should hit it with all your heart.

You should polish your skills, build up your physical strength, cultivate your mentality through this shot.

You should display your own self through this shot.

This is the "spirit of playing tennis".

'I couldn't agree more.' Smiling, he considered buying the book. This was an ancient bookstore that was probably going to close pretty soon, which saddened him. This was one of the few places where he could feel completely secure. It was almost like an outlet where he could read to his heart's content as a way to escape the rest of the world. Kin didn't have much patience for books, but she often accompanied him and they would share a single book cuddling in a dusty armchair. 'Those were the good old days.'

He chose two other books written by famous Japanese tennis players that were in best condition. Taro smiled as he imagined Kin training herself relentlessly. Although Taro hated to admit it, when she was on the court, he could do nothing more than cheer. As he watched from the sidelines, he felt detached from her, as if she was an intangible figure, not the same best friend he had spent so many hours with. Although he knew she would do fine without his support, giving her these books was the least he could do, right? He could imagine her flushing and smiling, hugging him as she thanked him. It took him a while to realize that he was blushing madly.

He hurriedly rushed to the counter and asked the shop owner how much they cost.

"Well, son, you've helping me for years. You can take as many books from here as you want," the cashier replied as he organized the shelves.

"H-hontou? Here, arigatou gozaimasu," he took out a few coins and placed them on the counter. The old man was far too nice to him already. He rushed out, grabbing his backpack as he ran to the tennis courts where he knew Kin was practicing.

---Later---

_Pok!_

She stepped back.

_Smash!_

The ball whizzed by her head as she crouched, panting.

'I should have won that match. I had a strategy, but I didn't have the stamina or endurance to win it like I should have. Chikusho, if only I trained harder or lasted longer, I'm sure I could have won it.'

**Inner Kin: ...But it didn't matter in the end, right?**

'Maybe not this time, but certainly the next time and the time after that, that is, if there is one. I feel like such a hypocrite. How can I coach Ginka when I can't win a match myself?'

**Inner Kin: You're being too tough on yourself. You tried your best, which is certainly better than everyone else's best.**

'My best is nothing compared to onii-chan's best.'

**Inner Kin: True. Just work harder. What's your best time from Ginka to home?**

'In the morning, it's 43 minutes. In the afternoon, it's 49. My goal is to get 40 minutes for each. At least my sprints have been improving faster.'

**Inner Kin: Have you decided who you're going to put on singles three? Itsuki or Tashiro?**

'Actually, I've been thinking that-'

"Kin-chan!" A red-faced Taro panted beside her, clutching books next to his chest. "I have a present for you."

"A present?" Instantly her face lit up.

"Yeah, here. Former Japanese tennis players wrote them all. Enjoy."

"Oh. Books." She deadpanned.

**Inner Taro: That girl really knows how to crush a guy's heart, neh?**

'Well, that's the old, insensitive Kin-chan I know.'

"Arigatou. I'll put them to good use, don't worry," she flashed a smile as she dumped them in her backpack.

**Inner Kin: You're such a bad liar.**

'Neh, you be quiet.'

"Well, Taro-chan, since you're here, how about you help me train?"

---At Night---

'Well, I can either do my math homework now and get it over with or watch a movie. It's a new release that I borrowed from Taro-chan and I've been itching to watch it. Hmm, how about you choose a number: one or two?'

**Inner Kin: Two.**

'...Curse you.'

**Inner Kin: Seriously, Kin. I'm your conscience. Do you really think I'm that stupid?**

'Well, I don't see you putting your superior intelligence to any good use.' Shutting out Inner Kin's response, she picked up the book from the floor to the opened page.

"My name is Ryosuke Nunoi, one of the few Japanese tennis players who had made a small but undeniable mark in the Grand Slams. As I write this book, there should be another genius tennis player next to me: Sato Jiro. However, since his reputation has gone ignominiously, I find it necessary to preserve his memory before his suicidal plunge down the Strait of Malacca."

**Inner Kin: Sugoi. That guy jumped into the strait? And you thought you had problems.**

"This biography is not only a tribute my undeniable best friend, but it includes a comprehensive gathering of information on his playing styles and techniques that may benefit the reader greatly. In this book I have poured out my self-guilt and heart to create something everlasting that may touch the hearts of the reader. Thank you."

'Something's not right here.' She flipped to the front. There were no copyright marks. In the back, there was a faded ink stain. 'No, that's not just an ink stain.' She made out a name in the messy blotch: Ryosuke Ninoi. It was his own signature, the only sign of authenticity. She gawked at the book in her hands. This must have been unpublished, perhaps even a diary.

'Where did Taro get this? Surely not that run-down bookstore?'

She immediately turned to selfish thoughts. This book may be a financial treasure. Before Inner Kin could chastise her avarice, she added, 'No, I'm not going to sell it, at least not before reading every word.'

The first few chapters were details on their personal lives as best friends and the rivalry they shared. She noticed how he had subtlely included hints that he revered, envied, and resented him all at once. Ninoi had often felt overshadowed by his friend's skill, but he never grew any lasting bitterness except for one fight, which they both made up with no regrets. Instead, they became doubles partners and they were runner-ups at Wimbledon.

'Maybe I should play doubles with onii-chan sometime. That'd be interesting, neh?'

**Inner Kin: Interesting? I doubt Kuni-niichan would let you touch the ball.**

'Ah, I suppose so. Especially with that annoying Tezuka Zone of his.'

She continued reading, and soon enough drool and tears were falling off her face in a waterfall. Ninoi had clearly poured all of his frustration into writing the bitter words on the page. He explained how Japan's enormous pressure forced Jiro to jump after making it to the semifinals, and explained how the publicity was actually not true. The jump not suicide- it was accidental manslaughter by Ryosuke.

The clock chimed midnight before she finally climbed into bed, overwhelmed and eternally touched by the almost magical confessions.

**Inner Kin: The book would have been a lot more enjoyable if you actually knew more traditional kanji.**

'You just had to ruin the moment, huh?'

**Inner Kin: Have you decided what to do with it yet? You're not going to let it rot on your table your entire life, are you?**

'Why not? It's inspirational. It's mine too.'

**Inner Kin: The shallowness of your mind amazes me. Or stupidity. I can't tell which. Both, probably.**

Ignoring the blunt insult thrown at her, she closed her eyes and wished that her conscience would stop pestering her.

'Besides, what happened to him anyway?'

---The Next Day---

Kin cursed. Loudly. This brought annoyed glances from the people next to her in the library, but she couldn't care less.

"The dude shot him himself in Birma at the end of World War II?!" she read from the article. She couldn't believe her eyes. _Both_ of them were suicidal? "He had a wife and a kid for goodness' sakes!"

"Suminasen. Can you please keep it down?" the librarian approached her with intimidating eyes.

"Gomenasai. Do you have any books about the history of Japanese tennis players?"

"No, I don't believe so. Would you like me to check?"

"No, that's all right. Sorry for that again," she took a deep breath, shaken. She imagined Ninoi's handsome face and well-toned body. Then she imagined him driven to suicide with his body covered in bullets.

'Not pleasant.'

**Inner Kin: Taro really ought to look at what he buys before they become his heartfelt present.**

---At the Tennis Courts---

She was disappointed to find that only the beginning focused on his biographies. The second portion was a record of all his games and personal notes for each one. She skipped over them easily until she came the last section that contained an extraordinarily detailed description of both their playing styles and techniques.

"Sato Jiro was a master of control. He specialized in precision tennis- he could calculate the exact angle and the perfect spin in a split second. His shots were alarmingly accurate that the referee is often mistaken. However, his precision and usually cannot last throughout five sets, so he often makes mistakes from exhaustion."

The first section was about spins. Sato was a spin meister; he used combinations of sidespins, topspins, backspins and slices in relative ease to throw off the opponent and keep them guessing.

Kin decided to experiment with his theories a bit and picked up a racket and ball. She began hitting easy forehands consecutively, hitting a dark spot on the wall repeatedly. Then, applying the mechanics she just learned, she hit a topspin with otherwise the same speed and power and it struck the dark spot about two centimeters lower and returned to her knees. 'Well, it's only about two centimeters, but that's the difference between missing the sweet spot, and the border between one point or no point, one game or no game, one match or no match.'

She experimented by varying topspins and backspins consecutively. She found slices useful- they slid low, so it was useful in tricking the opponent. However, she was absolutely delighted by sidespins, which made the ball tilt in another direction. Positively ebullient by her discovery, she repeatedly hit them, analyzing how they tilted after they bounced.

'This is amazing! I can control the direction of the ball after it bounces.' She jumped and screamed in ebullience, giving eye spasms to the people eyeing her.

**Inner Kin: Can you please stop that? You're embarrassing me.**

'Come on, don't be like that. Just think about it. In a game, I could control the spin of the ball absolutely, I could catch my opponent off-guard all the time!'

Giggling, she spun around until she collapsed in a heap.

**Inner Kin: My goodness, this girl, I'll never understand her. Hm? The chapter's not over yet. If there's such useful stuff like this, who knows what's in the rest of the book?**

'Ah, you're right.' She flipped the next page, her eyes squinting.

"NANI?! Look at all the exercises! He's insane," she exclaimed, reading, "Ah? Do 50 push-ups in a tub full of ice? Where am I supposed to get the tub of ice?"

**Inner Kin: ...her Japanese really needs more help...**

---Author's Note---

Arrgh... all right, the ending wasn't what I expected, but I've just got to say that Sato Jiro and Ryosuke Nunoi are real people. Sato did jump into the Strait of Malacca and Nunoi did shoot himself at the end of WWII. I don't know if they had families... I couldn't find that.

I don't know what school they should play next... I'm going to have to invent stuff from now on...


	13. Tamed Doggies

I love this chapter. I've used some... unorthodox writing styles in this chapter. Enjoy!

Chapter 13: Tamed Doggies

**Inner Taro: What tamed doggies? You can't possibly be talking about... **

**Inner Kin: Doggy, doggy, doggy... (laughs maliciously) **

**Inner Taro: I wonder what goes on in that head of yours... U-.- **

"10 more laps, everybody! Whoever loses will have to do all my homework for me!" she shouted, setting her watch.

**Inner Kin: Poor Doumoto. There's no way he can keep up.**

'Hmph. Don't be too sure about that.'

Smirking, Kin watched as Doumoto terrorized everybody around him, pulling their necks back as he raced to the front of the line. Then he shouted blackmail and the non-regulars cowered as they ran obediently behind him like pups to their mother.

**Inner Kin: The fact that a member on the team is bullying everyone doesn't concern you?**

'Who can blame him? He's being resourceful to make up for his lack of endurance.' Grinning from ear to ear, she called out the time.

"Do I still have to run even though I'm the captain?" Fukushi sighed as he took a sip of water. Kin slapped him on the back of his head.

"You're wasting valuable time! If the captain won't run it, who will? Ten more laps for you!" She waved his fists at him and he sprinted off to finish his laps.

"Mendokusu... Sometimes I wish this girl didn't appear at Ginka," he muttered under his breath, ignoring the desperate pleas of help from his burning muscles.

"Now that's more like it," Kin grinned sadistically, not realizing that a kid was pulling on her sleeve.

"Suminasen, but is this the track team?" a little boy with puppy eyes gazed up at her.

"I-iie, this is the tennis team," she bent down, smiling, "Can I help you?"

"Sou ka. Well, I won't disturb you anymore," he frowned and sprinted away.

"Matte! I can show you where the track team is!" she called as he disappeared from view. "Geez, that kid... AAHHH?" She stared as she realized that everyone had vanished without a trace. The courts were completely empty, like as if no one had touched the place that day.

**Inner Kin: Sugoi, I never knew everyone was _this_ afraid of you.**

"EVERYONE, COME OUT BEFORE I ADD 50 MORE LAPS!" She exploded in incredible anger.

---Meanwhile---

"Itai!"

_Crunch._

"GET YOUR BUTT OUT OF MY FACE!"

"G-gomen..."

"Damare! She might hear us."

_Rustle._

_Wind blowing..._

"Is she still there?"

"Shh!"

"Fukushi-buchooouuuuu... why do we have to hide behind the bushes like this? It's getting uncomfortable." That was an understatement. Only the world's greatest gymnasts could accomplish a feat of hiding behind one measly bush.

"Would you rather suffer that torture?"

"T-this is torture in itself."

_Twitch. _

_Crash._

Someone cursed.

"I-I think you just broke my wrist."

"G-gomen..."

"C-can't breath..."

_Bonk._

"Ah! Suzuki-kun fell onto the ground, unconscious! What do I do, what do I do?" Everyone was too busy shielding their noses.

"Get some deodorant, Itsuki-san. That's what."

"AHA! I FOUND YOU!" Kin's thunderous roar frightened the skittles out of everyone. "100 LAPS, EVERYONE!"

---The Next Day---

"I can't believe it. If this continues, our vice-captain is going to be the youngest mass murderer in Japan's history," Suzuki complained.

"Stop your whining, Suzuki-san. You had it easy because you fainted. Only 89 laps and she let you go. I had to do all 100," Itsuki sighed.

"Well, Itsuki-san, until you get some deodorant, you could become the first tennis player to win a match by raising your armpits and making your opponent faint," Tashiro laughed and everyone followed.

"Y-you guys are so mean," Itsuki sniffed and soon that turned into an enormous waterfall.

"D-do you think I went too far?" Tashiro's eye twitched.

---The List---

Doubles 2: Itsuki/Tashiro

Doubles 1: Hiroki/Kiyoshi

Singles 3: Suzuki

Singles 2: Taro

Singles 1: Fukushi

"NANI? I'm paired up with this freak?" Tashiro gaped.

"Oi, who're you calling a freak, you freak!" Itsuki grabbed his collar.

**Inner Kin: Was it really smart to put them two on doubles together?**

'Both of them worked hard during the training. Tashiro did extra because he didn't want to drag the team down, and Itsuki did so because he didn't want to stay as a reserve. Neither of the are going to forgive themselves if they lose.'

"Don't get in my way, okay?"

"Same goes for you."

"Matte," Doumoto blinked, "If they're playing doubles, what about Suzuki and me?" Everyone became silent, cringing.

"Doumoto-senpai," Kin mustered up her courage and addressed him, "Until you overcome your weakness and get some endurance, you will stay off-court." Everyone held their breath in anticipation. No one had ever defied Doumoto like this, not with his explosive anger management issues. A red line rose on Doumoto's face until it reached the peak boiling point.

"Understood, fukubuchou."

Everyone did an anime fall as steam escaped from Doumoto's ears.

"I-I can't believe it..." Suzuki gasped, "It's like we're dogs on a leash –Doumoto being the pit bull- and Kin's dragging us all..."

"This is... ridiculous," Fukushi shielded his crimson face, "We've been tamed by a 12-year-old girl. Since when did we drop this low?" Kin gave them a glare of pure malice.

"Did you two say something?"

"Iie. I was just wishing everyone luck for tomorrow," he scratched his head.

Still glaring at him. Not persuaded at all. Jabs with stick suspiciously.

Fukushi sweatdropped. 'There's something wrong with this girl...'

**Inner Kin: Paranoid much?**

---Meanwhile---

Mizuki stared fervently through his binoculars with his glinting sapphire eyes, the gears in his head working brilliantly. Chuckling softly, he smirked slightly, twisting his dark hair with his pinky. "Ginka is nothing but a joke. Chance of victory: 100 percent."

"Mizuki-kun? Why are we hiding behind the bushes?" Yuuta asked, slightly pink. If his older brother saw him like this, what would Syuusuke say? Probably just smile. Sighing, he collapsed on the ground, his arm full of Mizuki's journals.

"We're gathering information of course. St. Rudolph is not to be underestimated." Mizuki chuckled his trademark sadistic laugh, which only made Yuuta sigh again. Sure, he appreciated everything Mizuki's done, but sometimes he still doubted his decision.

---Ginka vs. St. Rudolph---

'St. Rudolph only recruits talented tennis players, such as Fuji Yuuta, and they only practice once a week. We practice everyday, especially with the tripled training, but still...'

Hiroki placed a hand on her shoulder. "You trained us well. Don't worry about us. We'll win for sure." He still had a soft spot for Ginka's coach. He knew that even though she put up a tough front, emulating her older brother's father-like sternness, inside, she was really sick with worry, a young ambitious girl with insecurities and the strength to overcome them.

"You're right. There's no use stressing myself out." She collapsed onto the bench, staring up at the sky. 'I wish I had a Ponta right now.'

"Doubles two will now begin. I repeat: doubles two will now begin."

"The last few days have been torture. We'll show you the fruits of our tripled training!" Smiling, she rested on the bench. 'They'll do great. I know they will. I believe in them.' Taking a deep sigh, she let the sounds of the ball bouncing and racket hitting soothe her worries.

---10 Minutes Later---

"Game to Ginka. 30-15."

"Not bad, neh, Tashiro-san?" Itsuki bit back the urge to gloat.

"Those two actually aren't that bad," Suzuki rubbed his chin.

"WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT, BAKA? We're losing by three points!" Tashiro screamed at him.

"That's your fault, not mine! They went on your side of the court!"

"I take that back," Suzuki sighed. 'Looks like this was a lost cause after all.' He looked pleadingly at Kin to appease the growing tension in the doubles pair, but Kin just sat there, her eyes closed, unmoving like a statue. 'Strange.'

He approached her and called her name. Then, when she didn't reply, he heard a soft snoring. 'You can't be serious.'

"You guys need to shut up," Fukushi ordered.

"Ah, our beloved girl coach has fallen asleep on bench," Suzuki muttered.

"NANI? Are we really that boring?" Itsuki scratched his head.

"Not _we_, baka. _You_."

"N-D-Teme..." He glanced at the snoozing vice-captain. She was so confident of them that she could sleep through it know what happens. 'I can't let her down. No, I'll never forgive myself.'

"Oi, Itsuki, Tashiro! You can't believe she chose you two over me! You guys are such losers! I'll kill you two if you lose," Doumoto waved his fists in the air, a vein bulging in his head.

Hiroki covered his face with his hands. Ginka really was a mess. Their doubles pair won't cooperate to save their lives. The member on reserve is screaming death threats. Fukushi's not acting like a captain at all, and the only spark of talent in Ginka is dozing. She's probably pushed herself to exhaustion. Poor girl. Couldn't blame her. They were a handful, all right.

"Come on, Hiroki. Let's go warm up."

"Yeah. I need some air to clear my head," Hiroki agreed as they went for a jog.

---15 Minutes Later---

"THIS IS IMPOSSIBLE! How could you lose? My predictions haven't been wrong this year!"

_"Sugoi. We won." _

_"Miracles do happen after all."_

"T-this is illogical. There's no way... that stupid-"

_"Ironic that we just needed a sleeping coach to make it happen." _

_"That girl actually arranged the pair so it would work. She really is something, isn't she?" _

"Calm down, Mizuki-kun. It's just one game-"

_Snore. Snore. Wheezy snore._

"Should we wake her up?"

"No, she's tired enough as it is. Let her rest. She's done enough. I wonder what she's dreaming of right now?"

---Meanwhile---

"Sei-ga-ku..." Kin was a haunted figure with bags under her eyes. "I will break you."

No response from Tezuka.

"Ginka will crush you!"

Tezuka gave no sign of hearing her.

"Oi! Ginka, charge! Doumoto in front!" she commanded, pointing.

Silence. The little doggy pups under Tezuka grinned playfully as they rolled around with tennis rackets.

"NANI? They're gone again?" All of Ginka's regular doggies had disappeared. "50 LAPS EVERYONE!"

---Behind a Bush---

Kiyoshi was a poodle. Hiroki was a Shitzu. Fukushi was an emancipated basset hound. Tashiro was a Chow. Suzuki was a German Shepherd. Doumoto was the overweight pit bull underneath everyone's weight.

_Ssssss... _

And everyone was desperately covering their nose from Itsuki –being a boxer- who was urinating under the bush.

---10 Minutes Later---

Both Hiroki and Kiyoshi collapsed to their knees. They couldn't believe it. Their opponents' strength was just incredible. How had Tashiro and Itsuki managed to beat the first two?

"Game to Yamabuki. Five games to love."

He saw fear in his opponents' eyes. Obviously not of them. Then who? He saw the still-furious coach bench who had adamantly clung on to his data. They'd probably suffer if the tiniest detail of Mizuki's prediction goes awry. And he thought Kin was bad.

---Later---

"NANI? I fell asleep? Why didn't anyone wake me up?" Kin jolted awake. "What happened?"

"Singles three will now begin."

'Singles three?'

"Hello, I'm talking to you guys here! Who won?"

"That girl is really out of it, isn't she? Do you really think we can win? Hiroki and Kiyoshi lost in a love match. I've heard that the manager of Yamabuki is psychic. Do you think Suzuki will be all right?" Itsuki sighed.

"To be honest..." Fukushi crossed his arms, "No."

Everyone did an anime fall. That wasn't exactly the most heart-warming thing he could have said.

---15 Minutes Later---

Turns out Mizuki wasn't the only one who was psychic. Fukushi would qualify as well. Suzuki, most definitely, did _not_ turn out all right. Mizuki still had simmering resentment at having his prophecy broken by Ginka. He played perfectly, as usual, seeking their weaknesses and assaulting mercilessly.

Kin had expected herself to be facing Mizuki, not Fuji Yuuta. 'They must have switched the ordering at the last minute. Damn them!' Because of that, Suzuki was suffering. The poor guy. Although there was still one last game, she could see that hope had left his movements and eyes. It was just one last act of desperation.

'This is bad. Yuuta's known as the left-handed killer. Word must have leaked that I'm a lefty. Well, too bad I've got a surprise for them.'

**Inner Kin: If you lose, it'll be all over, you know?**

'Don't worry. I won't lose. Nobody messes with Ginka. I'll teach that to everybody, even if it is Fuji's little brother.'

**Inner Kin: Overprotective as always. Looks like you're more fired up than usual. Don't forget that even if you do win, I doubt that Fukushi can win against this Akazawa guy.**

'Don't worry about Fukushi. He won against me, remember?'

**Inner Kin: You mean you let him win.**

'No, he won that game fair and square.'

**Inner Kin: You were just supporting his ego so he wouldn't freak out because his name's on singles one.**

'Ah, well. Besides, we made a bet.'

**Inner Kin: What bet?**

'If he lost, he would have to go on a date with me.'

**Inner Kin: NANI?**

'Yup. Dressed as guys.'

**Inner Kin: If he won?**

Inner Kin dreaded the answer to her question.

'He would choose my date.'

Inner Kin imagined Doumoto and her holding hands. _Gag._

**Inner Kin: Okay, it's officially worse than I thought it was.**

'Like I said, at least he won't lose.'

---Translations---

Iie- No.

Fukubuchou- vice-captain.

Sou ka- I see.

Matte- Wait.

Suminasen/Gomen- Sorry/Excuse me.

Teme- You.


	14. Not Alone

Chapter 14: Not Alone

**Inner Taro: That's right, Kin, you always have me! **

**Inner Kin: I don't think that's what the title's referring to... **

**Inner Taro: ... Well, I always wanted to tell you that. T.T**

Kin gritted her teeth as her fingers clasped around her familiar tennis racket in an irrevocable iron grip.

"Singles two will now begin..." the noise blared throughout the courts, but Kin didn't hear it. She rose from the bench, her expression unreadable. Suzuki couldn't have lost any worse. Mizuki was undoubtedly a brilliant expert at identifying weaknesses and planning strategies. Thanks to him, she learned a lesson. She would reciprocate the favor on Yuuta.

Taro stared through the chain-link fence, his heart knotted in anxiety. If Kin lost this game, Ginka would stop at Prefectural level once again. It didn't matter if Kin came to save Ginka or not; there simply wasn't enough natural talent on the team. Taro's soft eyes gazed longingly at Kin's firm countenance. She stood up straight as her unyielding aura even seemed to radiate to Taro. In her rigid sapphire-hard eyes, there was not a glint of the usual blithe carelessness or a happy-go-lucky levity. 'When I have seen Kin this serious, so tenacious before?' He couldn't remember.

Her opponent, a determined junior with hazel eyes and soft brown hair wasn't intimidated. Mizuki had done all he could to prepare Yuuta for this, and they trusted each other completely. Yuuta would not let him down.

"It may be wiser to forfeit now and spare yourself the humiliation," she warned dangerously, her azure eyes uneasily intense.

"Back at you," Yuuta retorted. 'Putting up a tough front, neh?'

"Well?" she asked as she began spinning her racket.

"Rough." And rough it was.

"Love all. Fuji to serve."

Analyzing his opponent meticulously, he served carefully, expecting a strong response, but _strong_ was not exactly the best word. As if she knew exactly where the ball was going to fly, she slammed it with her racket in a double-handed backhand in a flash.

'No way... that was returned even faster than my Super Rising.' Gritting his teeth, he remained calm. The first game was over incredibly quickly. Mostly return aces and one short rally. It took all of Yuuta's composure to keep from twitching his lip in panic.

She relaxed as they changed courts and she took a sip of water. 'Finally my training's paid off. The Sato Method's finally working. My reflexes, sprints and precision have all increased from the routines and exercises.'

"No way! I never knew Ki-" Hiroki glared at him dangerously. "-fukubuchou was this good!" Suzuki gaped.

Even though things were starting out well, as they usually did for Kin, a churning acid in Taro's stomach wouldn't ease. 'She definitely has a strategy- that's rare.'

"Heh, you're not bad," Yuuta smiled, but a hint of doubt crept into his voice.

"I'm warning you." She tossed the ball into the air. "I will break you."

_Smash._

"T-that's cheating, fukubuchou! I can't believe you copied my Power Serve!" Doumoto shouted from the sidelines.

"Actually, Doumoto-senpai, if memory serves correctly, I taught and perfected your serve," she raised an eyebrow.

"But to think that you could do it yourself..." Doumoto shot an annoyed glare. Obviously he was not pleased at being robbed of the pleasure of having Ginka's best serve.

"Well, you used it dozens of times everyday. I couldn't exactly help but copy, now could I?" she muttered, but she knew Doumoto didn't hear her. He only heard what he wanted to hear. That was changing though.

A wave of hopelessness briefly passed over Yuuta. Mizuki had told him this would be a piece of cake. Obviously not a very chewable one. However, he glanced at his manager and was surprised to find that Mizuki was perfectly confident, wrapping his dark hair around his pinky, radiating his ever-so-cocky attitude and not even bothering to glance at the court. Trusting his friend, Yuuta decided that he would hit her with his all.

"There it is again!" The crowd chatted excitedly. Would this be a one-sided game like the last one? 'Well, I'll give them something to talk about,' Yuuta thought. On impulse, he brought the racket lower than normal and returned it before Kin could move.

"That's Yuuta's specialty: Super Rising," someone on St. Rudolph gloated. "Our Yuuta can return any ball the moment it's hit."

"Huh. You're better than I thought you were. Well, as expected of the name Fuji, neh?" she glanced uninterestedly at him.

"What is that supposed to mean?" he replied defensively.

Kin's lips curled into a smile as her concentration deepened. 'He can return any ball the moment it's hit, eh? Troublesome, but not undefeatable.'

As he returned her serve with another Super Rising, time slowed down to nanoseconds. She analyzed every detail of his stance and she could make out every bead of sweat on his face. His forehead was creased in determination and his arm uncomfortably angled as the impact met in a sharp _snap._

Knowing the exact travel of the ball, she approached the net and did the forbidden- a drop volley. It skittered to the ground, bouncing erratically.

"You're an aggressive baseliner. There are clear weaknesses in your play. I thought you were tutored by Hajime," she taunted him, waving a finger. Yuuta bit back a hurried reply when he saw Mizuki's stern face. 'Chikusho, this guy's already figured out my weakness in the second game.'

After that, the point always ended in a serve and volley, tricking poor Yuuta every time. When Yuuta thought she would do a drop shot, she'd end up hitting a smash or a lob. It was getting unbearably frustrating. 'This is pointless! He's reading my every move.'

**Inner Kin: You love torturing your enemies, don't you?**

'Well... since I'm a girl, they obviously have the edge when it comes to endurance and strength, so mind games are all I have.'

"Game to Ginka. Three games to love."

Even Taro was impressed. He was glad he worried for nothing.

**Inner Taro: Wow, when Kin is serious, she is scary, isn't she?**

'When you mess with those close to her, you mess with her.'

Yuuta frowned at the last ball. He should have been able to get those shots, but they ended up out or weak. 'I'm missing the sweet spot,' he noticed, 'How is this possible? I could have sworn that the ball changed direction after the bounce.' He glanced at an impatient Mizuki and knew what his coach was thinking. Why was he waiting anyway?

"Oi! Don't get cocky because the game isn't over yet," he pointed a finger at him.

"Good. I was getting disappointed. Is this really the best Fuji's little brother can do?" she replied, bracing herself. She knew it wasn't a bluff at least. He had been holding back this entire match. A flare of annoyance exploded inside him as he released his ultimate move- Twist Spin Shot. To everybody's surprise, it returned incredibly quickly and slammed into the ground, giving the ball incredible bounce and height that soared above her in a blur. Kin simply blinked at where the ball landed, caught off-guard. 'A stronger version of a twist shot? I need to see that again.'

And she did. Flaunting his growth and power, he repeated the move over and over again.

"Game to St. Rudolph's Fuji. Three games to one."

"Yosh! Yuuta's finally showing his true colors. The match's ours now."

**Inner Kin: Why did you let him win the game?**

'To drag him into a safe sense of security. He's awfully proud and dependent on that technique. It'll be more devastating when I crush it.'

**Inner Kin: I see. All part of a master strategy, neh?**

'Well, I'm also a bit tired.'

Inner Kin nearly fell. The girl really doesn't change that much after all.

"Sorry, Fuji's little brother," she smiled smugly, "But the truth is that you never really had much of a chance. I will _crush_ you."

"Hmph. All bark and no bite," Yuuta replied with renewed confidence.

To everyone's surprise, she switched hands. 'My left arm's aching a bit. It needs some rest.'

"That won't work against me," Yuuta grimaced. He served and she returned with a topspin. 'Rising Shot,' Kin realized, 'He's just abiding time for his precious Twist Spin Shot.' She was right. As Yuuta collapsed to one knee, the ball spun fast towards her and she knew it would spin up above her head, just out of reach. Focusing all of her concentration, she recalled the minute details of Yuuta's stance and copied it.

_Pok._

Yuuta's pupils were dilated. 'N-no way... it's impossible...'

"That freshman returned Twist Spin Shot! Not only that, but he returned it with _Super Rising_!"

Fukushi whistled. That 12-year-old girl was full of surprises. It shocked him that he had actually defeated her before. Or maybe she let herself lose? 'No, no, I won fairly.'

'I-It's a fluke. It has to be. There's no way he can defeat my greatest technique by copying another one.' Clutching to Mizuki's trust that he can win, he shook his head. Adamantly and relentlessly, he served and used his Twist Spin Shot over and over again, only to be defeated every time.

"Game to Ginka's Aoki. Four games to one."

Yuuta wanted to punch somebody. How could his technique fail on him? How could his opponent copy and perfect a technique in minutes that he spent tears and sweat on? He couldn't believe his opponent's right hand was this good either. Was he some kind of monster?

"I'm ambidextrous," she smiled brightly, as if reading his mind, "Although I prefer using my left hand, I train more with my right so it's just as good." 'Actually, it's only because there's too great of a strain on one arm, since all the guys here probably weight lift twice my weight.'

Her smile struck Yuuta as pesteringly familiar: Syuusuke. He had the same hauntingly annoying azure eyes, the same eyes that looked down on him all his life. His shaggy brown hair and relaxed composure made Yuuta mistake him for his older brother for a second. 'Cut it out!' Fists clutching in intolerable frustration, he wanted to smack this tennis genius. He poured out his aversion and aggravation into each one of his shots, pretending like each ball was Syuusuke's face.

"Oi, you know your techniques don't work against me, Fuji's little brother. Why do you keep on using them?" Kin called, irritated.

"Because they're all I have," he shouted back, his fury not a tiny bit subdued.

She scoffed. 'What a stubborn guy. Not a bit like Fuji-kun at all.'

"Game to Ginka. Five games to one. Change courts." Shaking her head in disappointment, she called to him as he passed.

"Is this really your best? You're nothing but a joke. So someone defeats your so-called invincible techniques and you decimate to desperation. What would Fuji say if he saw you now? You're not even worthy of his last name."

"SHUT UP!" he shouted back, his full fury exploding, "I'll defeat my brother, just you wait!"

"Yeah, wait until you guys are old grannies and you pray each day for his arthritis to worsen so you can beat him," she scoffed.

"Teme-" Yuuta was ready to pounce on him, but Mizuki placed a hand on his shoulder.

"The match isn't over yet, Yuuta-kun," he warned, his voice low. Glancing at Kin's moving silhouette, Yuuta was barely able to keep his calm.

Kin began serving, but her shots were even faster than before. Had she been holding back earlier?

"Super Rising," Fukushi muttered.

"I told you, that doesn't work on me," she shouted, but she knew he wouldn't listen to her. 'Nani?' As she returned, he approached the net... and made a drop volley.

As the ball rolled past her ankle, Kin couldn't believe it. Yuuta had sacrificed his style of tennis to gain that point. Better yet, he had copied what she did earlier. 'Looks like my words pushed him over the edge.'

"Hm, you have potential," she cocked an eyebrow. "But it's too late now." Taking no chances, she served again, only adding an incredible topspin. 'Let's pray this works...'

"Fault!"

'Okay, maybe not.' She adjusted her grip slightly to the left and tried the same serve. 'Work!' As she slammed the ball down, the ball spun maybe 50 times over before it landed on the line and shot straight up. Preparing for a Super Rising, he brought his racket to slam against a ball... that disappeared. The ball reappeared behind him, but it already slammed into the fence.

"Well, I got that idea from your Twist Spin Shot, Fuji's little brother. Not bad, neh?" she gloated.

'What was that? A serve that disappears?' Yuuta's eyebrow twitched.

"Double fault! 40 to 15."

'If I lose this point, it's all over. How am I supposed to win against aniki if I can't even win against this puny freshman?' He gripped his racket harder, his palms sweating. As she served, this time the ball didn't bounce quite as high, since she was probably exhausted. 'Sou ka. The ball has such an incredible topspin that when it bounces, it goes directly up, giving the illusion that it vanished.'

Gritting his teeth in concentration, he slammed the ball and received a return ace.

Kin whistled. Yuuta managed to break her serve. 'Well, I guess I can't use that anymore.' Grinning from ear to ear, she served weakly, and soon Yuuta won the point. 'The guy's making a comeback.' She was terribly out-of-breath and her arms ached like she had been weight lifting for a month. 'Stupid Twist Spin Shots. I can barely raise my arms.' She glanced at her twitching hand and realized that she had fallen completely into Yuuta's trap. 'I've managed to return his Twist Spin Shots with Super Rising, but it's practically killed my wrist. Chikusho...'

"Game to St. Rudolph's Fuji. Three games to five."

"This is bad..." Taro grimaced. 'Very, very bad. The momentum of the match has shifted entirely towards St. Rudolph. Kin's lost her edge and passion to win, so now she can't even compete.'

'Darn it, I hate this guy. Either he tapped into a new reservoir of strength or he had been saving his energy until the end... unlike me.' She wanted nothing more than to lie down, drink some cold lemonade and watch a movie. Needless to say, she just wanted this game to be over, but this stupid kid was too stubborn. For a moment she didn't even care about tennis or Tezuka at all. She just wanted to get out of here and have a nice nap. 'I guess I can't compete with guys when it comes to endurance, neh?' She focused on resting, even sacrificing the next two points so she could win spectacularly. Unfortunately, Yuuta obviously had other plans.

"Game to St. Rudolph. Five games all."

**Inner Kin: Nice going. Now you have to win another game. So much for the master plan, neh?**

'Don't remind me.' Fortunately she could actually feel her arms again and she couldn't procrastinate any longer.

"Let's do this," she smiled as he served again, his power not ebbing from the very beginning. 'Would it be possible to turn that disappearing serve into a return?' As she returned it, she added a tremendous topspin, which laid quite a dark dent on the court as it bounced, and then it briefly disappeared until it flew over Yuuta's head.

"Let's name it Kamikakushi... or Divine Disappearance," she decided, rolling around the word on her tongue. With a renewed burst of strength, she became a spin meister while using the Sato Method once again. Yuuta was pretty much confounded by the mix of different spins, but he managed to surprise her by coming to the net once in a while.

Kin collapsed to the ground laughing deliriously as she tricked him into missing the ball entirely by slicing it, making him look like a newbie.

"Shut up! It's not funny," a crimson-faced Yuuta shouted. She just laughed harder at his blushing reaction. She had to give it to him; the guy was cute softie at heart.

"Game to Ginka. Seven games to five. Aoki Taro wins." Grudgingly and seething with frustration, they shook hands as the crowd cheered.

"I underestimated you. You're really cute, you know?" Kin winked. Yuuta stared at Kin in disbelief.

'Is he... _flirting_ with me?' The thought was immediately repulsive as Yuuta's face reached a new shade of scarlet.

"It's okay. I know how you feel. You're not alone, Yuu-chan," Kin grinned like a doofus, her eyes sparkling in amusement. 'Poor guy. Struggling to deal with the fact that he's gay.'

'He didn't call me Fuji's little brother,' Yuuta noticed, 'But Yuu-chan?' His eyebrows twitched at the name. "Don't call me so familiarly."

"Yuu-chan, I'll call you whatever I want. Or maybe you'd prefer 'Yuu-poo'?"

'God, this guy...' Yuuta had trouble ignoring him as he sauntered off the court.

"I'll see you around, Yuu-poo!" she called, waving.

'I'm praying that we don't,' Yuuta sighed, not wanting to meet Mizuki's cold eyes.

"I can't believe you scared us there," Fukushi scowled deeply.

"Oh, _puh_-lease. You didn't think I was that bad, did you? I'm hurt," she pouted her lips, sauntering to the washroom as she pulled on Taro's collar, dragging him along.

"Congratulations, K-Taro-chan!" he cried, grimacing in pain.

"Look," she whispered in his ear, "Let's trade outfits, okay? It's so fun to flirt with Fuji's little brother, I can't stop now!" Taro stared at her in pure horror, as if she was some kind of monster.

"You can't be-"

"Come on!"

---One Hour Later---

"FU-KU-SHI, if you do not end this match right now, I'll count it as a loss!" Kin hissed between her teeth. "This match couldn't be more boring and we have better things to do!"

**Inner Kin: Such as taking a nap and flirting with Yuuta, correct?**

"All right, all right," Fukushi grumbled, not realizing that Kin had changed aliases. 'This girl has no idea what _patience_ means.' Fukushi's laid-back attitude was driving Kin crazy. He wasn't a big one for flashy techniques or passionate speeches, but he had endurance that Kin would kill for.

Kin nodded smugly as Fukushi finally finished off a ready-to-drop Akazawa in the tiebreak round.

Collapsing onto the court, he closed his eyes, feeling the tepid rays of the sun boiling his skin. 'My backhand that blurs the ball doesn't have any effect on this guy at all. How can he still be standing?'

"Taro, our deal?" Fukushi glanced at the real Taro, who blinked in surprise.

"What deal?" he frowned.

On the opposite side of the court, Kin could barely prevent herself from rolling on the ground, laughing deliriously.

**Inner Kin: You are so sadistic... you were planning this from the very beginning, weren't you?**

'You give me too much credit.' Creeping out slowly, she grabbed Yuuta's arm and dragged him into a corner where no one was watching.

"W-what are you doing?" he frowned, amazed at her iron grip.

"Can I talk to you for a few moments?" she smiled brilliantly and winked.

'Who is this girl?' Yuuta blinked repeatedly, his face steadily returning to that lobster-red stage that he had just recovered from.

The next few chapters will be Yuuta x Kin. (Sugoi, neh? I think they make a cute couple. Absolutely kawaii! Mizuki x Kin would be absolute torture for Kin, but it'd be interesting. I love Mizuki by the way.) Hmm, so, after a few sleeplessness nights, I present you the list of the most plausible canon dates for Kin:

1. Kirihara

2. Atobe

3. Yuuta

4. Chitose (Remember Kamikakushi and Miyuki? I have my reasons...)

5. Kevin (He's so kawaii!)

6. Yukimura

7. Echizen

8. Fuji

Yeah, hmm, I wonder if I left anything out. Anyway, the problem is that I don't _like_ Atobe (what a sin, right?) I'd rather pair Kin up with someone closer to her age, you know? Two years, huge difference, right? But considering they're in junior high, it does complicate things.

The more I realize it, the more Kin is starting to appear like Fuji- that was accidental. I hope Yuuta wasn't OOC in this chapter. Eek!

---Review Responses---

Floriculture- I'm glad you clicked on it too. :D Yes, I can't wait until I reach that part, but that won't happen until like, chapter 16. Actually, as for his shoulder rehabiliation, I'm going to pick Germany over Kyuushu for my own very important reasons. But before that happens, something HUGE happens. Well, thank you! Sunscreen, neh? I hate sunscreen... But thanks anyway.

Suzsan- Err, thanks?

Summer-loven-2- I love doggies too. My mom's terrified, but yeah, you should see the posters in my room... Yup, Ginka rocks! I only chose Ginka because they were weak, which makes them all the more under appreciated and memorable.

Joyce- Sorry that was confusing... err, how do I correct that? As for Yamabuki, yeah, they won't go against them directly, but remember Akutsu? I think it's enough to satiate your Yamabuki yearnings. :D Well, at least you have the contentment of feeling special, neh?

White Prayer- Thank you for being with me since the beginning. UPDATE YOUR STORY! Please? I'm waiting... don't forget to e-mail it to me first though. Yeah, I agree with you about the whole 'super skill' thing. At first I didn't know, but then I just made her lose.

RapidSong123- Yup. I tried to include extra translations for you. I hope that helped. Well, the show's not bad, but it's not great either, I hate to admit. I'm glad you like my story, but it may get very confusing if you haven't seen all the episodes. I'll try to fill in whenever I can, but...

SweetMiyu- Haha, I totally agree with you when it comes to steroids. I guess the author of TeniPuri likes making teenagers tall?

Li Xia Jin- Thanks!


	15. Unrequited Love

Chapter 15: Unrequited Love  


**Inner Taro: I hope that isn't talking about me... T.T **

"What do you want?" Yuuta snapped. Clearly his bad mood from losing the match hadn't rubbed off. 'That's okay. I'll cheer up his spirits.'

"Oh, come on, Yuu-poo, don't be like that," she pouted, crossing her arms stubbornly.

'Yuu-poo? Don't tell me-'

"Swear upon death that you'll never, ever tell anything that I tell you right now," she held out her pinky, "Pinky swear."

'This girl belongs in an asyl-'

She grabbed his pinky and shook it vigorously, and Yuuta was caught off-guard by her enthusiasm and strength.

"Truth is..." Her lips lurked closer to Yuuta's ear. "I'M TEZUKA KUNIMITSU'S LITTER SISTER!" Yuuta immediately cringed as she blasted through his eardrums. 'She really didn't have to yell in my ear.' His head slightly fazed by the shock, she continued blabbing.

"Not only that, but I was the one who was on the court humiliating you. You see, it's unfortunate, but I have to cross dress to get on Ginka's boys tennis team. I hardly think it's worth it, but-"

"You're Tezuka Kunimitsu's little sister?" Yuuta repeated, perplexed and disbelieving.

"That's what I told you, didn't I?" she retorted, annoyed that he had rudely cut her off at the beginning of her rant. "But-"

"You were the one on court?" Yuuta blinked, not knowing what to believe.

"Hai, hai," she rushed, impatient. How slow can the guy get? "As I was saying-"

"You _cross dressed_ to get onto Ginka's boys tennis team? What's wrong with the girls' team?"

"If I join the girls' team, I'll be behind onii-chan from the very beginning," Kin protested, "I can't stand having him look down on me."

"But you're behind Tezuka already," Yuuta pointed out ignorantly, earning him a smack on the back of his head. "Itai!"

"I'll catch up in no time! Just you wait," she pouted childishly, feigning hurt.

"Funny, I think that's what I said earlier..." Yuuta scowled slightly. "Itai!"

"So are you calling me a hypocrite, hmm? Hmm?" She raised her eyebrows up dangerously.

'This girl's awfully defensive about this. Then again, I'm the same way.' He inspected her carefully, begrudged to see that the resemblances were undeniable, although her curvy hair was in a ponytail. 'That was probably a wig.' Still, his lips curled in derision and disbelief. He had been beaten by a _girl_? The thought was humiliating. A blush rose in his cheeks at what Syuusuke would say if he knew. Still, he realized how dangerous that was. If anyone found out and reported it, Ginka would be automatically disqualified. 'It's her problem, not mine.'

"Itai! What was that for?" 'Would this stupid girl stop hitting me?'

"For staring at me like I'm a different species or something," she replied curtly . "You know, you're really cute when you blush and not so cute when you have that mean face on." That just made him blush harder.

"So, why did you call me out? Just to gloat?"

"No, silly, I want to help you. You do realize that one of us is going to face Seigaku in the quarterfinals, right?"

"Sei-ga-ku..." The idea seemed strangely alien.

"The good news for us is that we only need one more win to secure a place in the semi-finals, since we haven't lost yet," she genuinely grinned, although it was only to hide her fears.

"Sou ka," Yuuta smiled, "You're only doing this to help us eliminate Seigaku before they get to you, neh?"

To his surprise, she blinked at him innocently and slowly she realized what he was saying. 'Strange, why didn't I think of that?'

"Iie, baka, I'm really trying to help you," she sighed . "But you can believe that if you wish." 'Why do boys always have to make things more difficult than they already are?'

"I don't need your help," Yuuta sneered, "Good luck at the quarterfinals."

"Matte! You need my help and you need it bad, especially when it comes to your attitude!" she pulled his arm, dragging him in the opposite direction.

"What's wrong with my attitude?" Irritation filled his hazel eyes.

"Everything!" she shouted . "For one thing, don't walk out on a conversation with a girl when she's not done talking to you!"

---10 Minutes Later---

"Join St. Rudolph."

Very intimidating gray eyes.

_Gulp. Blink. _'What is going on here?'

"Well, there's no further argument in that." Mizuki pulled out a transfer sheet and stuck it rudely in Taro's face.

"A-ano..."

"QUIT HARASSING MY FRIEND, YOU FAT PERVERT!" Kin smacked Mizuki in the face, leaving three red streaks. She pulled on Taro's arm and dragged him before Mizuki could even register what happened.

'T-This girl is scary... I wonder if Mizuki-senpai is okay?' Yuuta sweatdropped at the sight, never wanting to get away from her more, but she was clutching his wrist and he grudgingly trudged along.

"Well, Taro-chan," she smiled at him brilliantly . "Enjoy your date, okay?" With that, she pushed him into Fukushi and disappeared into thin air.

---At Night---

"Yuuta, is something wrong?" A slit of blue was visible from Fuji's eyes. "You're awfully quiet today."

"No, nothing's wrong," Yuuta shook his head, although that just confirmed to Fuji that something was indeed wrong.

"It's unfortunate that St. Rudolph lost today, but cheer up, you'll be playing us in the quarterfinals," Fuji smiled, as if that would cheer Yuuta up at all.

"That's not it," Yuuta glanced down at his slice of raspberry pie, "There's this girl who won't leave me alone-"

"A girl?" Immediately Fuji's ears perked. 'Is Yuuta _lovesick_?'

"Hai, we went out for dinner together, but-"

"What's her name?" This was very serious indeed. Yuuta had found a girl he liked? His little brother was growing up faster than Fuji himself.

"I promised not to tell anybody-"

"Sou ka. Did she-"

"Aniki, it's not like that-"

"It's okay, Yuuta. Well, what happened? Did she reject you?"

"Matte, she's not-"

"You like her, don't you?" Fuji accused bluntly. Yuuta's face immediately became redder than the raspberry pie he was eating, answering Fuji's question without lying.

"Of course-"

"Girls can be a bit much sometimes. I'll never quite understand them, but good luck, Yuuta." The brilliant, genuine smile that Fuji flashed made Yuuta gape in amazement before he sauntered off to his bedroom. 'What was that?' He felt a strange sense of loneliness at being the only one in the room, listening to the soft chirp of tree frogs outside.

Do you really believe you can defeat Fuji Syusuke, Seigaku's tensai with an undefeated record?

So maybe Yuuta exploded after Kin's words. But she had flat-out said the truth. He just wished she wasn't so blunt, breaking the 'silent contract' of not speaking the future that followed all odds. Even if there was a 99.9 percent chance that Fuji would always prevail, Yuuta had to depend on that 0.1 percent above everything, or he may as well give up now and worship at his feet.

His entire body ached. 'How can Tezuka Kunimitsu stand to have her as a sister? She's so hyperactive that I get exhausted from her presence.' Yuuta had never left a crumb of his sister's raspberry pie go to waste, but today he didn't seem to have much of an appetite.

_You know, you're really cute when you blush and not so cute when you have that mean face on._

Once again, Kin was right. 'What an annoying little girl.' There was no use in making himself miserable, no use in sulking or hiding. He had to believe in himself and work even harder. After all, St. Rudolph was only going to face Seigaku one time, at least with Fuji in it. In this one chance, Yuuta had to prove himself or not at all.

_You're not alone in this, Yuu-chan. I feel just as frustrated, bloodthirsty and unappreciated as you. You know the feeling where no matter how hard you try, no matter how much blood, sweat and tears you shed, the person you want to defeat the most is always one step ahead of you? You're not the only one who has that feeling, Yuu-chan. I feel it everyday, every time I pick up a racket._

Yuuta stood up sighing and left for his room. A good nap cures everything. Perhaps he hadn't appreciated Kin like he should have today.

_But in reverse, our brothers are essentially good people with kind hearts. Fuji is the type of person who, at heart, doesn't want to beat the opponent, but doesn't want to lose himself._

'Not everybody can be number one, Kin.' He laid down on his bed, closing his eyes as his fatigued body finally got a chance to rest.

_Still, no matter what, there is that feeling of love. _Yuuta recalled her laugh. It was mellifluous and genuine, reminding him of bells chiming. _I must sound sappy, don't I? We'll always be in their hearts and we'll always be cheering them on. We'll be supporting them when they need us the most. They'll never stop trying and we won't either. In that, at least, lies some guaranteed satisfaction._

'Why is it that the lines I recall all make her sound really mature? It's not fair. They don't sound anything like the childish restless girl I spent my day with.'

_To put it simply, I suppose, things have a tendency to turn out all right._

With that, his mind quickly drifted into easy slumber as his breath evened and his body relaxed.

Unfortunately, for poor Yuuta today, no such luck.

"I can't keep quiet about this! Yuuta got his first rejection from a girl today," Yumiko barged into his room despite Fuji's hasty protests. "How are you feeling?"

"Very sleepy. Now let me rest," Yuuta replied, trying to get his crazy sister out of his room.

"Ah, poor Yuuta-chan," Yumiko sat next to his bed, her eyes full of sympathy. As she went on a rant about how he shouldn't be so down on his first date, and as she promised that things would definitely get better, a vein in Yuuta's forehead increased exponentially. "Come on, tell me everything that happened. I won't stop pestering you if you don't."

"Onee-chan..." Yuuta mumbled dangerously.

"She rejected you, didn't she? Was she cute?" Yuuta sighed. There really was only one way to shut her up.

"We practiced tennis, engaged in blood-curdling fights, and went out for dinner. That's all," Yuuta answered flatly. 'Of course, there was much, much more...'

There was something... different about her. She wasn't like the other girls. In a crowd, she wouldn't stand out, but once you got to know her, she was certainly unique. She was just so simple-minded, and in that he felt almost envious. Her sudden bouts of fury and insensitivity only lurked on the surface. Underneath, she was surprisingly childish, like as if she had somehow avoided growing up. Of course, there was a serious side about her, like as if the perfect circumstances were triggered, a monster, the polar opposite of her seemingly ignorant self, would be unleashed. When that happens, her naive demeanor would completely shatter.

To Yuuta's surprise, he felt oddly protective of her. He didn't want to see her hurt or have her innocence crushed. 'Perhaps this is how onii-chan feels about me?' Still, there seemed to be a lot more to Kin than met the eye. 'Good luck, Kin, in defeating Tezuka. If anybody, you can...'

---Earlier That Day---

Taro's eyebrow twitched, but otherwise he was paralyzed in confusion. 'How did I end up here?'

"So, Taro, tell us all about your friend," Tashiro glared at him.

"A-ano..." Taro never wished more than to disappear or melt into the floor. He felt the eyes of every one of Ginka's regulars, but his tongue refused to make words. His heart lurched when he saw Kin laughing and smiling on the other side of glass... with a tomato-red Yuuta next to her. They were probably having fun teasing each other. He couldn't recall the last time she had such a genuine smile.

'I can't believe it. Kin's chosen a boy who's light-years ahead of me in tennis and I'm reduced to nothing. How can I even compare to that guy?'

**Inner Taro: Poor, poor Taro-chan. Unrequited love hurts, neh?**

"Oi, kid, are you okay?"

_Sniff. Sniff._ 'I should feel happy for her, but...' He sulked, playing with his milkshake with no appetite at all. Hiroki noticed that he was staring at Kin and quickly gave him a slap on his back.

"It's okay, kid," he encouraged, his lips twitching into a smile. 'Did we go too far?'

---A/N---

Okay, maybe this chapter was a bit too short for my tastes, and I couldn't nail the ending, but I didn't know what else to write. Don't worry, the next chapter will be absolutely hilarious.


	16. The Worst Day of Kirihara Akaya's Life

To those who haven't read it yet... enjoy.

Pairing: KiriharaxKin

A huge thanks to Accidental.Enlightenment for beta-ing my chapters... I hope she still is... um... um... crap... I didn't scare her away, did I? This is **not good**...

Chapter 16: The Worst Day of Kirihara Akaya's Life

**Inner Taro: Since when did Kirihara come into the story?**

**Inner Kin: Who's Kirihara?**

** Inner Taro: You're hopeless. U-.-  
**

Kirihara Akaya yawned as he settled down in the chair for a quick breakfast. 'Sanada is pushing us like crazy, especially now that Yukimura's hospitalized. Seriously, I'm too exhausted to even squeeze out some time for the new video game releases.'

He was disappointed to find that a warm breakfast wasn't already waiting for him, so he grudgingly pulled out some cereal. He heard his mother squeal on the phone and he rolled his eyes.

_"Akaya! You won't believe what happened! Takumi proposed!" His mother was shrieking, blocking his view of the television._

_In the middle of his mother's hysterics, the screen flashed 'GAME OVER'. Kirihara cursed. So close! _

_"Che..." So his mother, Kirihara Rei, was re-marrying soon after all. He had given up hope a long time ago, but he just hoped it wouldn't interfere with tennis. The wedding would be next month, and he would be moving into their house. Akaya couldn't have cared less. He tried to avoid his stepfather as much as possible, despite Takumi's attempts at friendship. _

_'That baka will never understand.' _

_"Isn't he too young for you? Besides, do you really have to make this much of a ruckus? It's not like you haven't married before," Akaya mumbled under his breath. _

_"Yes, but it's his first time. Aren't you excited, Aka-chan?"_

Akaya dropped his spoon when he realized something, milk leaking from his gaping mouth. 'The wedding is on the exact same day of our finals match in the Kanagawa Prefectural Tournament!' He felt like slamming his head on the table. 'Sanada's not going to forgive me for this.' Now he dreaded going to school...

---Meanwhile---

"I am NOT attending the wedding," Tezuka Kin protested stubbornly, crossing her arms. "If you love the kimono so much, why don't you make onii-chan wear it?" Her older brother made no hint in hearing her, although he did slightly pause before bringing the spoon to his mouth.

"Kin, stop being difficult," their mother stroked Kin's hair, "Your uncle used to play tennis with you two, remember?"

"Speaking of tennis, we have quarterfinals on that day," her older brother pointed out, "I can't afford to miss it."

"I don't want to either! Ginka's playing Houjyou," Kin disputed, but she knew she had already lost the argument. 'This is bad. Very, very bad. Like Tezuka, I _have_ to be there! Ginka's going to lose without me.'

"But you're not the team's captain," their father answered sternly.

"Demo..." She buried her head in her arms. Great. What was she going to tell the regulars? I have to smile all day, throw petals and act preppy in a kimono for my uncle's wedding?

---The Wedding Day---

It took all of Kirihara's self-control not to run away. It shamed himself that everybody saw him like this. He was dressed in a black tuxedo when he refused to wear a man's kimono. His mother had spent a ridiculous amount of time fussing over his hair that simply "insisted on remaining a despicable mop." Akaya, on the other hand, saw nothing wrong with his magnificent curls.

Because Akaya had insisted on a Shinto traditional wedding, the wedding ended up a small white wedding based on Christian traditions. He sat in the small corner of the dimly lit church, hoping to look invisible. He should not be here right now. He should be with the rest of Rikkai Dai, kicking ass. Still, they would kick ass without him so he didn't have to worry.

He was slightly amused as a mumbling, clearly irate girl dressed in a light pink kimono grudgingly sat in the other corner of the church, smoothing the silk and refusing to stand up, despite her mother's efforts. 'Maybe I'm not the only person who doesn't belong here.'

"Kin, you should be grateful that Rei-san was so kind to help you with your outfit," her mother dragged her from the corner to meet Kirihara. He jolted in surprise, smiling awkwardly.

"I didn't ask her to. I would be perfectly-"

"Kirihara Akaya, correct?" her mother smiled brilliantly, "I'm Takumi's older sister and this is my daughter, Tezuka Kin." He forced himself to bow, hiding his grimace. 'Tezuka? Her brother can't possibly be Seigaku's captain, Tezuka Kunimitsu, can he?'

"It's a pleasure to meet you," Kin greeted through her teeth with a distinct sarcasm.

"The pleasure's all mine," Kirihara smiled, casting a devilish grin. After they were done trading sarcastic courtesies, their mothers gossiped as they perfected the last touches of the ceremony. She collapsed in a chair next to him, still murmuring and blushing.

"I swear they put two tons of make-up on me," she whispered under her breath, "They just had to choose a _pink_ kimono..."

"So that blush isn't natural? Pity," Kirihara replied. She shot a death glare at him.

"You're very lucky that we're at a wedding and in a church," she responded, her eyes sharpened like daggers.

"Oh, am I supposed to be trembling in fear?"

"You should," she retorted. "Give me a racket and a ball and I'll prove exactly how scary I am."

"You play tennis?" 'So _is _she Tezuka's sister?'

"No, I play badminton, silly," she replied sarcastically.

"I suggest you find out who you're talking to before you whisper death threats," Kirihara warned. Obviously she did not know his title as Rikkai Dai's Devil. She stuck out her tongue at him.

"Bring it on, curly-haired dude. There's no reason for my brother to get involved in this. I can crush you any day," she taunted, which triggered extreme irritation in Kirihara, but fortunately for her, the wedding ceremony began before Akaya got a chance to scream at her.

At the beginning of the dreary formalities, Kirihara whispered on her ear, "Look, kid. I don't know why you hate me so much, but I don't want to be here any more than you do. So just stay out of my way, neh?"

"Same for you." So they called it a truce, at least for now anyway. He was itching for this wedding to be over so he could crush this pathetic girl and teach her a lesson to not insult strangers who just happened to be light-years more talented than she was. However, his mother just seemed to love savoring every second of the attention... Kirihara could barely keep his head up and his eyes open. Sanada had been training them relentlessly and the fact that he would miss the finals didn't help either. 'I suppose a short nap wouldn't hurt.' With that he closed his eyes, his body relaxing as he drifted into dull sleep...

---Meanwhile---

Kin's body remained tense. Her eyes darted to the entrance of the church, but it was quickly met by her mother's glares. If she could only slip out quietly and find out how Ginka's doing... Although she knew it was pointless to worry, she couldn't help it. 'They have to win. They must.' She clasped her fingers together, praying that they were doing fine. She checked her cell phone for the dozenth time that day.

_2-1. Don't worry. They're doing great. –Taro_

She breathed a sigh of relief as her whole body relaxed. All of the stress of the Prefecturals was weighing down on her. The ceremony seemed long ways from being over. She let the soothing voice of the preacher drone her to sleep...

---30 Minutes Later---

"Look at them. Aren't they just so perfect together?"

_Click. Snap._

The picture turned out quite nicely. Kin was dozing on Kirihara's shoulder, and his head was resting comfortably on hers. Kin's light salmon kimono contrasted to his black suit well, and they just seemed like an irresistible couple.

"Young love is beautiful, isn't it?" Rei snapped more photos.

"Hm, your son is growing up quite nicely. He attends Rikkai Dai, correct?" Ayana smiled.

"Yes, and all he does is tennis, those ridiculously violent fighting games, and more tennis," Rei sighed, "It's very comforting to know that he has excellent taste in girls."

"He plays tennis? Perhaps he could teach Kin sometime," Ayana suggested.

"I think that's a great idea! We'll invite Kin over." Rei moved Akaya's hand onto Kin's and snapped another picture. Perfect. "Come on, everybody! Let's take a group picture!"

---One Minute Later---

There was a blinding light as he blinked himself awake. To his sheer amazement, he realized that Kin was clutching his arm, snoozing peacefully on his shoulder and his hand was resting on hers. All the curses he knew immediately ran through his mind at the speed of light, but for some reason he was struck immobile. 'Why... can't I move?' It was an odd feeling, really. If this happened to him playing tennis, Sanada would be yelling his head off.

Asleep, her features were soft and her lips were curved in a gentle smile. Her soft chestnut-brown hair was arranged in pearls and fell slightly over her forehead. For a moment, she looked irresistibly... _cute_.

'What the hell is wrong with me today?' Shocked and ashamed at himself for thinking such a ridiculous thing, he pushed her off of him and she immediately awoke, pushing him back for such a rude shove.

"What was that for?" she asked, rubbing her eyes.

"Get up. The reception's starting," he whispered, slightly nauseous as he suddenly stood. He resisted the urge to stretch as he proceeded down the aisle.

"Matte!" she called, oblivious to the stares directed at the two of them. Scowling at himself for letting his guard down like that, he marched outside, squinting as the rays of the sun shone into his eyes.

"Hurry up, you two, throw some rice!" Ayana rushed to them. Reluctantly, Kin showered the bride and groom with rice, although personally she herself would never be flattered by getting rice stuck everywhere. She didn't see the point other than to get themselves dirty.

Next came the flower bouquet toss.

"Che... how childish," Kirihara leaned on the table, looking away.

"If it's so childish, then why are you standing there?" Kin pointed to him, since he was standing next to the crowd of ecstatic women jumping for the bouquet. A slight tinge of pink appeared on his cheeks, but he shrugged it off.

"Itai! Akaya, you did not just throw-" To her amazement, the bouquet had slipped from a woman's grasp and bounced on her head, only to be caught by both Kirihara and Kin at the same time.

_Click. Snap._ 'Another perfect picture to add to the album...'

"Why are you holding the bouquet, you idiot?" Kin grabbed it away instantly and he didn't resist.

'What is _wrong_ with me today?' To be honest, Kirihara wasn't sure he wanted to know the answer to his question. His heart was pounding in his ears, and he was sweating and blushing incessantly for no apparent reason...

Soon Kin was run-over by other woman trying to wrench it from her and she squealed and crawled out of the crowd in a mess. "Seriously, they're just _flowers_, for goodness' sakes! You don't have to kill me for them." She waved her fists wildly at them and Akaya could only sweatdrop.

What happened next was something that _no one_ would ever, ever predicted.

"You shouldn't-" Kirihara rushed to Kin. In mid-step, everything slowed down. He tripped on a rock and fell forwards. Before anybody realized what happened, Kirihara's body slammed on top of Kin's, their lips touching.

Everyone became deathly silent. The wind blew across the grass, the leaves rustling quickly.

_Click. Snap._ 'Absolutely _priceless_...'

His verdant-green eyes stared into her cerulean ones. Her lips were soft and her body fragile underneath him...

Kin was the first to recover. "GET OFF OF ME, YOU MOLESTER!"

---At Night---

Akaya sighed in the backseat of the car. His body was covered in bruises when Kin had promptly beaten him thoroughly to a pulp. Who would have guessed that Tezuka's little sister was so freakin' _strong_? She even had a temper that matched the Devil himself. Although he was busy reassuring himself that he would never see her again, deep down he couldn't help but hope the opposite.

It was his first kiss, after all, and definitely not as he imagined it. Still, despite the torture that was inflicted later, it was still worth it. He licked his lips, disturbed to find an odd aftertaste in his mouth. What was that? _Lipstick?_

Little did poor Kirihara Akaya, a marionette of fate, know that the worst was waiting for him the _next_ day...

---Monday Morning---

"Oi, Kirihara, are you okay?" Marui put a hand on his friend's shoulder.

"I'm fine. It's too bad I wasn't there yesterday," Akaya hastily replied.

"We ended the matches in an hour even without you," Sanada informed.

"Did you fall or injure yourself?" Jackal asked, grimacing at the purple spots and band-aids over his body.

"I'm fine," Kirihara repeated, not flattered by the attention. "I'll see you guys after-school."

"Matte, Kirihara-san! You left something," Yagyuu called, picking up something shiny from the ground that fell out of his backpack.

"What's this?" Every one of the regulars stared at what was in Yagyuu's hands.

Stared and stared and... stared. Even Sanada's mouth was slightly ajar as a trickle of drool escaped.

Niou was the first to recover. Marui and Niou exchanged glances and chuckles arose from their throats. They hadn't had this much fun in a long, _long_ time.

---Afternoon---

"Did you hear? Kirihara got married," someone whispered on the other side of the classroom. Akaya frowned, sure that someone had spoken his name, but dismissed the thought as meaningless gossip.

_Ding. Ding. Ding._

Kirihara was grateful for the bell as he packed his stuff to leave. He was in a horrible mood because this was definitely not his best day. Sanada had forced 40 laps out of him this morning and he could feel every single one of the bruises Kin gave him. He fell asleep during third period and completely missed the entire test, which incidentally by a hand of the worst luck was probably the only quiz the teacher ever gave and counted for, like 80 percent of his grade.

"What are you looking at?" he snapped at a girl who stared back at him blankly. He felt uneasy as he realized everybody's eyes were focused on him as he passed while everyone was silent and paralyzed.

"Kirihara-san," Yagyuu pushed his glasses on his nose. "I tried to stop them, but..."

Suddenly Kirihara's stomach lurched and he felt sick. Very, very sick.

"I think you should follow me," Yagyuu led him into an empty computer lab.

Kirihara stared. Stared and stared and... stared.

On every single desktop, the background had been changed. Changed to photos of Kirihara and Kin together. Sleeping and drooling over each other, walking down the aisle together, holding hands on a bouquet, and ultimately... Kirihara on top of Kin as they kissed under the wedding cake.

Every photo was undeniably picturesque and genuine, like as if everything had been setup for each memorable moment. What could he say? His mother's photography and how-badly-can-you-humiliate-your-son skills were impeccable. How the pictures got to school and into his insidious friends' grasp he couldn't explain, but...

This was officially the worst day of Kirihara Akaya's life.

Suddenly his knees felt weak. His head spun. He decided, under the glare of every single person in the hallway, that this was a convenient time to faint.

So he did.

---A/N---

Liked it? Glad you clicked on it even though it was an OC story? Or did you hate it and wish me a fate worse than death? Well, I'll only know if you review, neh?

Like I said, it was a special chapter based off of my story Monster where Kin is the protagonist. You'll only fully understand it if you read Monster, because there are parts that are confusing. It was originally intended as chapter 16.


	17. Harm in Dreaming

Pairings: Supposedly EchizenxTezuka... hahaha... (Ironically, I actually hate that yaoi pairing...)

Chapter 17: Harm in Dreaming

**Inner Taro: What are you talking about? Everyone dreams. Some of them may be incoherently... random (pink sheep with laser guns), while others are just planning the schedule for tomorrow (Tezuka), and others are fairly disturbing (whacking your math teacher). Still, there is no harm in it, unless something alarming becomes reality. **

---The Day Before---

Michiru Fukushi had a bit of natural talent, given, but when it came down to it, he was just plain _lazy_. For him, tennis was just a leisurely activity where he could have fun bossing around clueless lackeys. Even though he had the potential to do well in St. Rudolph, for example, he wouldn't for two reasons: he did not want to waste that much time under an annoying boss, two, he actually had to fill out a transfer form and _transfer_ (very troublesome, if you think about it. Plus, it never occurred to his skinny head that he could transfer between grade levels.) So, of course, the logical thing to do was stay at the head of Ginka's tennis team. When you have a laid-back captain like that, you could only guess how the attitude spreads, right? Of course, he was also a rather lucky guy. Teachers and students all seemed to like him in a way he wouldn't ever guess or care, but his main luck lay in...

Tezuka Kin.

She changed everything, not in all the good ways, either. '-beep- her!' That little swaggering rascal changed the tennis team from his lovely sandbox to a Nazis training camp. Of course, he had seen it coming the first time he saw her, but it was just too troublesome to do anything about it. She took charge, treading over their asses daily. Even though half of the tennis team worshiped her like God reincarnated, the other half couldn't help but pray to the Devil for a bloody death. (Thank goodness they weren't Catholic either or the priests would all get heart attacks.)

Still, even Fukushi had his humanity. A tiny corner of his mind would never forgive taking away his easy life and leadership. Another corner was simmering in envy for her natural charisma and talent (which was repelled by her inherent arrogance and obliviousness.)

Now that she was gone for a day (for a reason she refused to admit) in this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, Fukushi fully intended to make the most of it by cracking his whip like he had never done before. Of course, not like he had a _choice_...

_Everyone who loses their match has to run 100 laps. Fukushi? If Ginka loses, you are running 200 laps. Anyone who refuses to do so will be expelled from the club. No excuses. By the way, buchou, no pressure._

Her smug smirk and that touch of superiority... Ginka's was hers and she knew it, even if everyone called him captain. Unwillingly but too lazy to do anything about it, Fukushi became her puppet. He wanted to smack her.

However, a part of him didn't want to fail her and obviously none of the other regulars either. Her blunt disappointment, ironically, cut through the pride of each of them more than anything else. The way she would shake her head with her eyes full of disappointment did a lot more lasting psychological damage than a hundred or even a thousand laps. How had she done that to him? It was so not-Michiru-like.

That was why Fukushi simply could _not_ let her down at the risk of his life.

Okay, so maybe Taro hadn't told the exact truth. Sure, they were winning two to one, but they weren't actually doing so great... except in utterly pissing off their opponents to –beep-.

Although lazy, Fukushi was resourceful. Since Itsuki was an expert at instigating Tashiro, and Tashiro was a connoisseur at provoking his opponent, it made sense to put them together in his crazy logic. He had a strategy for those two: at first bicker like husband and wife to drive the opponents into a fake sense of security, and if things looked hopeless (which they almost always did) then provoke their nemesis into using very corporeal violence and thus winning automatic points and eventually disqualification. Amazingly, it worked. For some reason, Tashiro exhibited signs of tennis phobia, but Fukushi was sure it would pass... eventually. At least he saved them from running laps.

Doumoto had one advantage: power, and he made the most of it by smashing a ball so hard that he broke his opponent's wrist. (However, Fukushi suspected that Houjyou was lying; the guy was just scared out of his wits of Doumoto's wrath that he wet his pants.) Suzuki was so fast that he managed to get hit by every ball, and thus the umpire was so scared that he thought his enemy was trying to commit murder, so he disqualified Houjyou and Ginka won. Of course, Suzuki was covered in bruises and black eyes, but it was mercy compared to what Kin would do to him when he didn't finish his laps. (He still had endurance issues, see.)

Hiroki and Kiyoshi were the only ones that actually played a real match, and they had done well, but neither of them listened to Fukushi's inane strategy of swallowing their pride, crying like girly girls and begging their adversaries to go easy on them. Oh well, Fukushi felt no sympathy for them. He had concocted a perfect stratagem, but they insisted on shunning him, so they'd just have to run their laps tomorrow.

The fact that Michiru had managed to turn these losers into winners meant that he must be some kind of undiscovered tensai. There was no other explanation.

Of course, Taro watched the entire thing with a sinking feeling in his stomach, but he also decided (with some blackmail) that it was better if Kin didn't know the details.

They went out together for dinner (Fukushi wasn't paying the bill, for sure) as they laughed at the irony of the world.

"You should have seen the look on the umpire's face when I threatened to kill him if he didn't make us win."

"Doumoto, psst. The other team's captain is right there. Let's hum and pretend he didn't hear us, neh?"

"So, guys, you know the real reason Kin's coaching us losers?"

"What? For a chance to flirt with us amazingly good-looking guys?"

"No, she told me about her dream to defeat her older brother, Tezuka Kunimitsu."

Silence.

"Oh, for a moment I thought you meant Seigaku's captain."

"I did..."

"That's not fair! Why didn't I inherit genes like that?"

"Her, defeat Tezuka?"

"What is she going to do? Cry 'aniki, go easy on it! Please!' and threaten laps if he wins?"

Delirious laughter erupted from everyone except for Hiroki and Taro.

"You never know. It just might happen."

"And Ginka just won Nationals."

More chuckling and even Hiroki joined in. Taro felt his insides burn.

"The guy's probably is going to become a pro. It's like a toddler dreaming of beating Doumoto."

"Poor Tezuka Kunimitsu. I would be ashamed if I had someone like her as a little sister. It's no wonder she's at the loser public school Ginka rather than that filthy talented private school, Seishun Gakuen."

It was obvious that they were releasing their constrained envy and rancor of having a bossy, female freshman order them around. According to the conversation, she should be calling them all 'sama' and fetching balls. It may be playful banter to the regulars, but Taro was shocked, mortified and above all, absolutely livid.

"How dare you say these things about her?!"

The laughter ceased. Taro felt every eye in the restaurant on him.

"Look at what she's done for you all! She's spent hours and hours of each time devoted towards each of you and this is how you repay her? Do you think she wants to be stuck along with you losers as well? Look at the obvious neglect and favoritism by her parents. Why don't you trade places with her? Her life has never been easy. She's always been overshadowed by her brother in everything she does, no matter how hard she tries! Do none of you see the purple bags under her eyes every morning? Did any of you realize that she wears four weights everyday, even when she's doing the same amount of running and training as you? While you all are whining and concocting excuses, she does triple your daily training regimes! Are all of you such fools that you can't see how desperately hard she's trying?"

Even though Taro hadn't noticed earlier, he was wiping tears of frustration from his eyes.

"Can't you see how distant she feels? The burden she carries in her heart? The pressure and responsibility weighed on her shoulders to be just as good so she can proudly wear the name Tezuka? Unlike her older brother, Kin is no tensai. She's not gorgeous, tall, smart, leadership-material or naturally fated with the perfect opportunities. Every step of the way, she's fought. Hard. I know, because I've been along with her every single day since kindergarten. Right now, more than ever, she needs support from her friends. You're awfully shitty excuses for friends, insulting her behind her back like this. The difference between you guys and her is like heaven and hell. The reason she's been able to beat you all to a pulp is because she works harder than anyone else I know. And here you are, not giving an ounce of effort other than what she squeezes out of your lazy asses. You guys don't even deserve to know her."

Absolute silence. _Pop._ A bubble rose in Kiyoshi's soda.

"At the very least, Kin has a dream. True, by all odds, it's hopeless, impossible and a pointless waste of time, judging by the chances. Still, she's trying her hardest, and that's a hell lot more than what any of you are doing."

Someone whistled.

"Hey, Taro-chan, ever considered being a poet?"

Although the words were meant as a joke, the dark atmosphere didn't lift. Guilt gnawed at the inside of every single regular as each sentence rang true. They looked away, not willing to accept the changes they needed to make. Finally, after Taro collapsed into his seat, flushing by his explosion, someone managed to break the silence.

"Well, I guess there's no harm in dreaming. Like Taro-chan was so kind to point out, it's a lot more than what we're doing, neh?"

Uneasy smiles returned.

"Well, tell us that we wish her luck, okay? Because she's going to need all the luck in the world and more..."

In messy unison, everyone raised their Ponta cans.

"To Tezuka Kin, the poor unappreciated girl destined to prove the world wrong."

"To Tezuka Kin, the kid who dreams big and trains bigger."

"To Tezuka Kin, our fukubuchou and the heart of Ginka."

Loud cheering, crashes of soda cans, and suddenly a miraculously large bill was left for Doumoto…

---The Following Day---

"You can't be serious! Twist Spin Shot destroys an undeveloped skeletal frame?" Kin gawked at Yuuta.

"That's what aniki told me."

"That Mizuki... I swear, I will rip the guts out of him," Kin fumed internally, steam practically blowing from her ears.

"That's okay. Aniki's avenged me already. Like you said, things have a tendency to come out all right, neh?" Yuuta smiled and Kin melted.

"You sure you don't want me to slap him again?" she smiled weakly.

"That's okay. Save it for another day," Yuuta humored with a surprisingly genuine smile. There was something about Kin that made him feel... he didn't know, carefree? Like a little kid, almost...

"So I'm guessing you made up with your brother?"

"You noticed?" he blushed slightly.

"Well, considering St. Rudolph lost, that's the only explanation for your good mood," Kin analyzed.

"I guess you know me after all," Yuuta chuckled.

"So I'm guessing my relentless training helped?"

"Are you kidding me? I would have died under Echizen without your help. Still, like you said, he's the type of opponent who evolves during a match. What an annoying kid," Yuuta mused. "Hey, at least Ginka made it to semifinals, huh?"

"Yup, I guess miracles do happen after all," Kin laughed, although her hopeful tone was insinuating more.

"Good luck against Seishun Gakuen," he smiled.

She chuckled, replying, "We're going to need more than luck to defeat them. It's simply amazing to think how far we've gotten. Doesn't it feel so unreal? To actually be on the same page as our older brothers? I don't know, it just never occurred to me that I would actually be facing my brother on equal footing."

"Isn't that the point?" Yuuta frowned. "To defeat them on equal footing?"

"Well, yeah, but-" She couldn't find the words. She knew that Ginka didn't stand a chance against Seigaku any more likely than pigs could fly. Even if every single person in Ginka gave more than their best, it could not compare to Seigaku's worst. They were setting up the regulars for utter humiliation.

Itsuki and Tashiro would simply bicker. Kiyoshi and Hiroki wouldn't be able to get past Kikumaru's acrobatics. Her against Fuji, the tensai with unlimited potential who had never lost a game? Inconceivable. Fukushi against onii-chan? He wouldn't be able to score a point, and worse, deep down, Fukushi didn't _care_. However, this also made him psychologically immune- Fukushi didn't care if he was winning or not. He simply played to have a good time. He would never get discouraged (or excited, either.) He would follow Kin's strategy and let his reflexes decide the rest. He was just so laid-back that he was driving her crazy.

"Don't worry about it, Kin-chan," Yuuta placed a hand on her shoulder. "Things have a tendency of turning out all right." He waved a finger. "Remember, Kin-chan, you're not alone. I'll help you beat Echizen."

She pouted, saying, "I hate it when people quote me. When did we switch places? So, a game, how about it? Mizuki and you can tell me all about that brat's weaknesses," she pulled him along, her tennis racket swishing slightly.

"You're envious," Yuuta noted.

"You be quiet or else I'm going to add laps."

Yuuta was about to chuckle when he realized that the side of her leg was covered in purple blotches and band-aids.

"How did that happen?" he frowned, pointing to her leg.

"Oh, I fell. It's nothing," she replied hastily, shielding it from sight. Yuuta knew she was hiding something, but he knew she wouldn't say anything even if he kept pestering her.

---Later That Day---

The green foliage filtered the bright sunlight. The woods around her was strangely quiet as she ran past in a blur, her sneakers crashing on the gravel with each step. Her breath fervent and her muscles burning, the heavy weights around her wrists and ankles dragging down her every step. Still, it's worth it, she persuaded herself. 'It'll all be a bargain when I see the crush of defeat on onii-chan's face.'

Like Emerson advised, Nature offered guidance, and it provided Kin with a solace she didn't find anywhere else. She often took Ginka's tennis team on a run once in a while, but all they'd end up doing is complain their heads off. What a waste of oxygen.

She paused for breath as the outline of Ginka's building appeared into view. Heading towards the tennis courts, she took a brisk pace.

_Image training. Focus on image training._

Each of Ginka's members stood on Seigaku's heads as they claimed the victory. Kin's foot firmly placed on Echizen's cocky head as he muttered 'Mada Mada-' Ginka would take the Prefectural trophy, yes... Tezuka would be smacked in his rear as he let down his guard, underestimating Kin's mad tennis skills.

Then the image blurred and collapsed. She couldn't do it. Maybe she should just confess to everything that she's a girl and get them all disqualified. Then maybe the girls' team would even shun her.

**Inner Kin: You've gotten this far, Kin. You're actually against your brother for the first time in your life and you're backing off? Coward.**

'But it's hopeless...'

**Inner Kin: That's exactly how losers think, more specifically, everyone in Ginka. You don't want to be lumped with that group of losers, neh?**

'It's too late for that. We've had incredible luck so far by not meeting any of the powerhouses, but...'

Ironically, just when she thought that, a short green-haired boy defeated a bewildered Fukushi in a love game and yet Fukushi didn't appear a bit concerned. Eyebrows twitching, she watched from the shadow of a tree as he defeated half of the tennis club without breaking a sweat.

'T-that can't be... Echizen Ryoma?' She felt like smashing her head against the tree. Fukushi can't even handle the club for _two days_ when she's gone? She felt a massive migraine coming, but first she had to get rid of the little insolent brat that intruded onto her turf, and he was going to pay for it.

"What're you doing here, chibi?" she waved her fists at him.

"F-fukubuchou!"

"Come to rub off on me, have you?" If looks could kill, Echizen would be dead 50 times over by now. He adjusted his cap, blinking.

"Do I know you?" he murmured.

"_Do I know you?_" Kin repeated incredulously, "YOU KEEP YOUR HANDS AND LIPS TO YOURSELF AND STAY AWAY FROM ONII-CHAN OR ELSE YOU'RE GOING TO BE DEAD BEFORE YOU GET TO KNOW ME!" Everyone inched away from a positively livid, fuming Kin.

Echizen just looked at her like as if she was crazy (which she probably was) and inched away as she blew a gasket in front of his face. "I'M NOT LETTING A GAY ELEMENTARY KID TOUCH ONII-CHAN! HE'S MINE! MINE!"

"You're too loud," Echizen grimaced.

"DO YOU THINK I AM BLIND? I SAW YOU WITH ONII-CHAN IN THE CLOSET YESTERDAY. I am not tolerating it. NOT AT ALL! You got that?"

"T-Taro-kun, please calm down," Suzuki sweatdropped. "He challenged everyone in Ginka's tennis club to a match, that's all."

"Nani?" 'So he isn't here about onii-chan?'

**Inner Kin: Seriously, to be honest, I have no idea where you get these ideas. It humiliates me that I'm even associated with you...**

"Sou ka. You want to play with me, don't you, chibi?" She smirked, taking off his hat and rumpling his hair. It was a very awkward sight, really, seeing another freshman petting Echizen's head. If the circumstances were different, Sakuno may have laughed.

"Get away from me," the boy frowned as he moved to the opposite side of the court. "One game match."

"Geez, I was just trying to be friendly," she frowned. The other members just gaped at her. '_Friendly?_' No one would solve the mystery of the fukubuchou, that was for sure.

Echizen's serve was nice and crisp like she expected. He had excellent speed and form, but there were still holes in his play and she could find them with her improved Insight. Using different spins to throw him off, she hit a cord ball that barely made it over the net.

"Lucky," Fukushi grumbled.

"Love to fifteen."

"Sweet! Go fukubuchou! He was the first one to win a point from that kid," the juniors cheered. Unimpressed, he served again, only this one was sharper. Predicting the course of the ball, she returned it two-handed with a strong topspin. He hit a fast cross-court shot and Kin moved toward the ball.

'He's going to approach the net.' And she was right. Smiling, she hit a high lob in the right corner, outmaneuvering a bewildered Echizen.

"Hm, I see you're not like the rest of them," he lowered his cap, his eyes glinting slightly. To her surprise, he switched his racket from his right hand to his left hand. As he slammed the ball, she realized why.

'Twist Serve!' Before she could react, she barely moved her head out of the way as it soared past her cheek.

"You're finally getting serious, huh?" she smiled.

"No way, what was that?" The members stood in awe. 'So I get the pleasure of breaking your Twist Serve, hm?' Ebullient at this chance, in the split second before the serve came, she switched hands and tilted her racket down above her head before hitting the net and barely landing in. 'The Twist Serve only works if it's used against someone using the same hand. Unfortunately for him, I'm ambidexterous.'

"Lucky again," Fukushi frowned, "There's something fishy here."

It never occurred to Kin that she may actually win against Echizen, the son of the number one seeded pro player. The thought was nearly as unbelievable as winning against her older brother.

Unfortunately, that remained a dream.

He was serious this time with only one point from losing. His serve was far sharper the next time and Kin almost missed it as her return landed out. He did it again and she returned it with difficulty, but even though she knew he was approaching the net, she couldn't hit a lob and he gained the point with a drop shot. 'His strength and speed have suddenly increased so that he can't compare to before. Or, as onii-chan would say, "Yudan sezu ni ikou".'

"Game and match to the kid with the cap."

"Nooo! How could this happen? He defeated our best player," the freshmen groaned in despair. 'Oh, puh-lease, neither of us played to a third of our actual abilities.'

"I'll be seeing you on Singles Three," she shook his hand and then muttered softly so no one could hear, "Echizen-chibi."

---Later That Day---

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN WE LOST ALL OUR BALLS TO THAT DOLT?!" She screamed in Fukushi's face, drool splattering everywhere.

"See, uh, we agreed that if he could defeat us all that he would take all our balls, not just that little girl's," Fukushi explained, sweat rolling down his face.

"AND WHY DIDN'T ANYBODY TELL ME THIS?" She exploded, staring at everyone as they melted at her feet. 'I could have actually played seriously.'

"D-daijoubu, Taro-kun. We'll get them replaced soon," Hiroki waved his hands.

"Oh? Are you, Hiroki-senpai?" She raised an eyebrow.

"M-mochiron. We'll all help." The rest of them nodded vigorously.

"Very well," she rubbed her chin, her mind trying to fathom a punishment that was adequate. "Every single one of you must buy 20 brand new tennis balls by tomorrow morning! Now, everyone, get a partner!" The members scattered like ants as they arranged in pairs. "You will be piggyback-riding your partner until both of you have completed 20 laps each. The first group to complete them will be exempt from buying balls. Now get started!" Everyone grumbled in sheer horror at the thought. They'd be here all night long and whenever they'd slack off, she'd appear out of thin air and add extra laps. "Plus, Hiroki and Kiyoshi, that'd be 40 laps for losing."

The new puny freshman recruiter, Hidaka Yori, gulped. Yori really regretted his decision of signing up for the tennis club instead of the track club. Looking sideways at his overpowering partner Doumoto (or specifically, his bone-crushing muscles), he muttered, "Nice day, isn't it?"

Smug with the sentence she had concocted, she now turned her attention towards defeating Echizen. She had forced Mizuki into training her mercilessly, and it had paid off. The training regime he arranged for her was superfluously strenuous, but she wasn't complaining. After watching Hajime play numerous times, she got a taste of the brilliancy behind Mizuki's Data Tennis and coerced him into revealing his secrets. Her analytical, Insight and Foresight skills had improved, but she still sometimes lacked the physical requirements needed to carry out a strategy.

Deep inside she harbored an innate jealousy and aversion for Echizen. He was a tensai, he had a pro father, and he was stealing Kunimitsu's attention away from her. He was as cocky as her, only he had the skills to back it up. Muttering curses under her breath, she marched out to plan her revenge...


	18. Unlucky

Chapter 18: Unlucky

**Inner Kin: That's us, to be stuck with such crazy little kids... **

**Inner Taro: You mean you. **

"Today, there will be a test. If you do not pass this test, you will stay a freshman _forever_." Shadows etched from her teacher's face, malignantly glaring down at Kin's nerve-wracked form.

She gulped. 'Where is Taro-chan?' She looked left and right, but all she saw were shadowy huddles scribbling furiously. Sweat rolling down her face, she took a head-on challenge into the test. No matter how many times she read the first problem, her brain may as well have been a stone. 'Okay, calm down, just finish the problems that look easy.' She read the next problem, and the next one, until she finished reading the entire test.

_Tick. Tick. Tick._

Hands shaking, she scribbled her name at the top: Tezuka K-

'Oh, screw it! It's hopeless.'

She threw her face into her arms. She hadn't studied because she didn't know there was an exam today, and now she was going to stay a freshman even as an old woman...

_Tick. Tick. Tick. _

'Why is mathematics so easy for everybody else and yet so desperately impossible for me? Why is it that onii-chan got all the IQ genes and I got left with none? Why is it that when onii-chan explains it to me, everything suddenly clicks, but when I try to figure it out myself, it never works?'

**Inner Kin: Shouldn't you learn another lesson from this?**

'What do you mean?'

**Inner Kin: Think about it. Sensei, even as you refuse to admit it, just wants the best from you. 'Tou-san and 'kaa-san all want the same thing. You have Ginka, Taro, even Mizuki. Now what do you learn from this?**

'Blackmail is my life?'

Inner Kin barely resisted the urge to slap her.

**Inner Kin: Open your eyes and take a good look around, Kin.**

So she did. She found herself staring at a spider weaving a dirty cobweb in the corner of her ceiling. 'So the test was a dream. Oh merciful God, thank you.' Then she tilted her head to get a better look at her clock.

And literally FREAKED.

"SHIMATTA!"

It was 2:30 in the afternoon... and the semi-finals started 30 minutes ago.

---Later---

Kin wanted to smash her skull open on something. Not only was she pointlessly late, Ginka had forfeited entirely out of cowardice. She knew from the very beginning that they didn't stand a chance, but they didn't even _try_. All those hours and hours of backbreaking training, all those nights where she stayed up doing homework, all her effort... it all went down the drain in one unfair twist of fate.

"K-Kin-chan-" Taro touched her shoulder, but she moved away.

"Leave me alone," she replied coldly. Clutching her bag, she ran towards the tennis courts. Cursing, she gripped the fence and squeezed. It was her golden opportunity, the perfect chance to show Kunimitsu her growth, and yet she was robbed even that. Why did life hate her so? It was just so _unfair_. Blinking back tears of frustration, she grabbed a tennis ball that rolled past her feet.

A man called, "Oi, can you get that for me?"

She picked it up and threw it towards him- hard.

_Pok._

"O-oi, Sasabe-kun, are you all right?"

His eyes were swirling blurbs as he lay on the court, unmoving. A red bump on his head grew bigger by the second. "Sasabe-kun!"

So she had knocked him out inadvertently. Oh, well. For some reason she didn't feel a hint of sympathy for the guy.

Feeling slightly better, she walked out, bouncing a ball up and down from her racket.

"TEME! You, get back here now!" The guy made a miraculous rebirth as he pointed at Kin accusingly.

"Make me," she muttered.

"TEME!" He threw another tennis ball at her and she dodged it easily, catching it on her racket, bouncing two balls at the same time.

"Why that-"

"What do you want?" She turned to face a livid junior high kid that looked threateningly murderous.

"A match. If I win, you will bow down and beg for forgiveness," he shook his finger furiously.

"If I win, I get a free shot at your face. Again," she agreed. "It was fun the first time."

"Smug, cocky little-" He went on cursing her as they prepared in a court.

"Will Sasabe-kun be all right?"

"Mochiron! I'm not going to let this pathetic shrimp beat me, who do you think you're talking to?"

"One set match. Sasabe to serve."

"I'm not going to go easy on you!"

"Ah. Me neither," she licked her lips. He served, and she admitted that he wasn't bad- she was just far better.

"Love to fifteen."

"No way! Excellent return. What was that, Super Rising?"

Kin learned that he was a volley specialist, so she kept hitting groundstrokes to keep him at the baseline. His movements were predictable and his play had holes. She could have won with her eyes closed.

"Game and match to Aoki Taro. Six games to two."

"N-no way! It's impossible, Sasabe-kun lost sorely!" His friends were freaking, and so was Sasabe.

"T-that was a fluke! I challenge you to another game right now," he panicked, sweat falling from his face.

"Maybe after our bet is fulfilled," she smirked maliciously. She threw the ball into the air and smashed it- right into Sasabe's face by pretending he was Echizen.

_Pok._

Now she shut the guy up for good. She blew off some steam, but not as much as she wanted to. Maybe she should ask Mizuki to train her some more.

"You're not bad," a voice came from behind. She turned to see the all-too-familiar cap, green hair and massive ego.

"Echizen Ryoma."

"So what happened? Chickened out?"

"Maybe. You'll never really know, hm? So why're you still here?"

"I was hoping you'd show up," he grabbed his racket, "You're wearing weights, aren't you? Take them off."

"Make me." A bubble of excitement rose in her. Could she still play her match? Why hadn't she thought of it before?

"I will."

It was a glaring competition and neither of them was backing down.

'I'll teach him to not mess with me when I'm in a bad mood.'

"One set match. Echizen to serve."

'Twist Serve, but he knows that doesn't work on me!' She switched hands and hit a Super Rising. The first rally ended as Echizen's point and she already felt the weights sagging her down. Impressed, she removed her ankle and wrist blocks. With her sharp increase in strength and speed, she managed to win the game, plus she already had Sasabe warm her up. Concentrating all her aversion to beating Ryoma to a pulp and proving onii-chan that she deserved his attention way more than this annoying little guy did.

"Game to Aoki. Two games to love."

"I never lose my first service game," she waved her racket at him. "I will crush you."

"No way! O-chibi's losing?"

"Yo, Echizen! What's wrong with you today?"

"His opponent's not bad. I heard he's from Ginka."

_Not bad?_ Her mouth twitched.

She hadn't noticed earlier, but they had drawn quite a crowd. A team with blue and white jerseys. Seigaku. Standing right next to her was Tezuka Kunimitsu.

'Onii-chan's watching me. He's watching me! Don't look at him, don't look...' On the other side stood Ginka with their shabby green jerseys, gaping at her.

"So she ended up challenging that kid anyway," Fukushi shook his head. "I'll never understand her."

"Go, fukubuchou! If anyone can defeat Echizen, it's you!"

'Oh, please. You will not be saying that after the punishment I've prepared for you all.'

"Gin-ka! Gin-ka! Gin-ka! Gin-ka!" The chants were like music to her ears. Tennis came so much easier to her now as she was guided by reflex without worrying about tripping over her feet or crashing over a ball.

Mixing topspins with slices and sidespins became second nature to her now. She even amazed herself at how much she had improved. She remembered how her backhands were always weak and her serves never made it over the net. It seemed like a lifetime ago. That all changed now.

It was an amazing feeling, really. Nothing compared to the sensation of being on court. The elation in her chest grew with each passing ball. To be able to pit herself against the best, holding nothing back, playing to her heart's delight. Adrenaline rushed through her veins, pumping confidence into each stroke and movement. Even though her training killed her muscles and she was terribly sleep-deprived, it was worth it, this feeling of freedom and accomplishment. Even though her shirt was soaked in sweat and her muscles screamed for rest, the pain felt human, reminding her that her body had limits, but she only enjoyed it as another challenge.

She saw him perfectly. No matter how hard he tried a feint, his movements were completely obvious in her vision and so were the flaws in his technique. He seemed to have problems hitting balls that were aimed for him ironically, despite the fact that he did it himself. He had some amazing moves- Drive B, which stumped Yuuta, as well as the one-footed Split Step. She herself revealed no flashy moves other than Super Rising, not even her Kamikakushi Serve. She wanted to prove that one could win with only hard work, not tensai techniques.

'How to break Drive B...' He slid on the ground and used the inertia of the thrust into creating a curve. Knowing exactly where he'd hit it, she approached the net at the same time, slamming a cross court in the opposite direction.

"No way! What amazing reflexes."

"He discovered the weakness in the Drive B technique. That boy is amazing at finding holes."

"Game to Aoki Taro. Five games to three." As they changed courts, she found herself gasping for breath. So she had fallen for the same trap as before. The game had already lasted 40 minutes. He was dragging it as long as he could to tire her out. So he had seen her weakness as well. Still, she had confidence in her endurance.

"Have you realized?"

"Yeah, the Spot is already starting to take effect. This match is over."

'The Spot?' To be honest, she had no idea what they were talking about. 'Echizen's already won? How come I didn't know? I hate it when people know more than me.' Panicking, she missed a drop shot she should have predicted. Frowning, she rubbed her eyes as her vision blurred. 'What's wrong with me? It must be this heat.'

"I-I can't believe I'm saying this, but Echizen! Beat that kid's ass!"

"AAHHH? Sasabe-kun? You're cheering for your sworn enemy?"

"That little kid's my sworn enemy now!" He pointed accusingly at Kin. Cringing, she moved away from the direction he pointed to, but his finger followed her.

"Mada mada dane."

Once again she was struck by an unlucky twist of fate.

Her concentration broken, she didn't stand a chance. Her shots kept on missing or she misjudged his unpredictable feints. He also invented some new annoying technique called Drive A that smashed into her face, saying it was "revenge for Sasabe" or something or other, but she couldn't hear him because she was too busy complaining.

Why couldn't she defeat this kid? No matter where she shot the ball, he would always be standing there. Her earlier antics didn't work anymore. No matter how aggressively she attacked, he would defend with twice the power.

'Onii-chan's watching! I can't keep making a fool of myself. Chikusho, why won't this kid back down?'

She doubled her efforts, attacking each ball with all her heart. No matter what she did, he would always be there to return it with a new trick to stump her. She realized what Yuuta meant now.

'This kid...' she realized to her shock, '...will never give up.'

"Oi, are you going to pick up your racket or what?" He glared at her, his breath shallow.

"Why?" She cocked her head at him.

"What?"

"Why do you never give up?"

"There's only one person who can stand on top and that's me."

"On top..." A strange sensation overcame her.

"So why do you play tennis?" he asked her.

"Me? Because there's someone I want to defeat beyond anyone," she answered.

"Is that all? What happens when you defeat that person?"

"To be honest, I never thought of that before," she blinked innocently.

"Hmph. Someone like you will never defeat me," he smirked. "Pick up your racket."

---

The most amazing thing is that Ginka Chugakkou actually placed third in the tournament, thanks to Fudoumine forfeiting.

She now recognized why Seishun Gakuen took the first place medal while they were stuck at third. It wasn't just because Seigaku's regulars had inherent tennis skills or that their coach was amazing. No, it was because they had the ambition to be the best. Deep down, each one of them wished nothing more than to bring the victory cup in the Nationals Finals. They believed in each other; they supported one another. Any one of them would give an arm or leg for their friends. They were a close-knit bundle of explosive potential waiting to shock the world.

Sitting squat underneath all the pressure was Tezuka Kunimitsu, her staid little scapegoat.

'You never fail to amaze me, onii-chan.'

Still, it was the little cocky freshman, Echizen Ryoma, that brought out the best in everybody, including herself. He may not look like much at first sight, but there was something undeniably special about him, and Kin only realized that as she was losing.

Ginka was a large school, after all. There was definitely parallel talent somewhere in the building, right? The fact that Ginka didn't have any 'inherent' talent was bull. She simply didn't know how to draw it out and bring out everybody's best. Why was Ginka competing? Because Kin coerced them with bribes and blackmail. They weren't winning because aspiration. They were winning for _her_.

'Onii-chan, when you were my age, did you learn the same lesson when that jealous guy hit your arm?'

She carefully watched as the stoic captain accepted the gold medals. He had the utmost respect from each of his teammates. His presence stood above everyone else. This was the boy, no- man her parents aspired her to be.

She looked over her ragtag group dressed in verdant-green. They were such a disparate group of students that were somehow united under her hegemony. Even though all of them grudgingly obeyed her, she could tell that they were embarrassed to be 'tamed' by her, not flattered like Seigaku.

Kin finally understood.

**Inner Kin: No, actually girl, you're just starting to understand. As Echizen said, 'mada mada dane'...**

She gazed at the sunflower-yellow sunset and grabbed her racket, raising it in the air.

"Oi, fukubuchou, what are you doing?"

'Wait up, onii-chan, because I swear upon this racket that I'll defeat you one day.'

---

Dear Diary,

Believe it or not, that's what happened. Even though Kin lost to Echizen, she had an evil glint in her eye, like as if nothing had happened. She usually hates to lose, but she didn't mind this time. She acted weird the rest of the day, and I didn't even have to cheer her up. I'll really never understand her. What's more, when we returned to school the next day, she was even in higher spirits than usual. Even though Ginka forfeited, she simply punished them with the usual routine. I was concerned for her health for a moment there, but she looked... happy. Glowing, almost. That Echizen really does weird things to people. Well, even though Ginka's out of the equation, I don't feel like we've lost. Actually, it's like we've gained something even more precious...

---A/N---

Haha, I bet nobody saw that coming, huh? Well, if Kin actually did beat Echizen, that would make her a total Sue... completely unrealistic.

Has anyone read chapter 352? GACK! I seriously, _seriously_ think that Seigaku's going to LOSE the finals. Tezuka's going to lose to Sanada! It's going to be at tiebreak during Singles One, but Konomi can't end the series there. He can't! Why is Echizen going to lose to Yukimura? Because Konomi HIMSELF admitted that Yukimura is the strongest player in the PoT universe (surprising, meh? I thought it'd be Nanjiroh)!!! Okay, haha, it's been a long time since I've abused exclamation points. Feels good somehow...

Anyone agree with me? 


	19. Battle of Will

However, before I present this to you, a little episode of my life:

_"Somebody, somebody  
Can anybody find me somebody to love?"_

I pressed my ear closer to the side of the seat. My skin was clammy and crimson as I pressed my sweaty knees together. I wrapped my head in a beach towel decorated with purple palm trees and golden suns.

'Floriculture asked me who my favorite character in TeniPuri was, hm... undisputably Kirihara Akaya, then Yukimura Seiichi. Shiraishi and Chitose are all right, but I don't know enough about them. I used to love Kikumaru Eiji and then I kind of grew out of it... Oshitari's cute too.'

"You shouldn't be too devoted to these things. The creator of Taoism is simply brainwashing you," my father half-screamed frustratedly. My grandmother chattered something back (she's a zealot, you see) but I just pressed the cloth harder around my ears to drone out the chaotic cacophony.

"AAHHHAAA! BARRHEEYY!"

"Shhh! No screaming, 乖乖," my mother fervently tried to hush my spazzing baby sister. I swear- I am not kidding- that she is the neediest, most active toddler in the frickin' universe.

"_Lord - somebody - somebody  
Can anybody find mmeeee - somebody to loooove?_"

'I mean seriously, I love Kirihara so much that I saw him in two dreams so far. One was when Buggers were coming to take over Earth (Ender's Game) and for some reason Akaya was Jin (_Samurai Champloo_) and he saved Ann (forever AnnxKiri) from her mother who was attempting to kill Ann, cutting his forehead and revealing that he was a machine (_Terminator_.) My second dream was a crossover about Harry Potter and Naruto and Kirihara just happened to be there for the sole reason of my love interest. J.K. Rowling became Lord Voldemort and she had some mystical ability to control animals. I could also communicate telepathically to an enormous guinea pig through a sidewalk. That's when my sister screamed "姐姐" and woke me up.'

Childrens' Chinese songs blared through the stereo as the most annoying, high-pitched, pestering little voices. For a moment, a wave of nausea passed through me as the vehicle jolted to a stop, sending suitcases and coolers crashing in the trunk.

_"Find me somebody to love  
Can anybody find me somebody to love?"_

Somehow I could already tell surviving this 'vacation' was going to be quite a feat indeed...

Now that the District Prefectural Tournament is over in ways that no one would ever suspect (not even myself, until I wrote that chapter HAHAHA) I'm so sad to tell you that the series is about 40 percent done. The entire storyline ends at the end of the National finals... LONG way to go...

Personally, I quite like this chapter (probably second to chapter 16) because it shows the complexity of Kin's character because I do not want to make the same mistake as Paolini... This chapter also serves a far greater purpose... MWHAHAHA! I present you...

Pairings: TaroxKin... 'now and forever'... (supposedly, of course...)

Chapter 19: Battle of Will

Aoki Taro was torn by indecision. It was Kin's 13th birthday today, the first day of a four-day break. He considered telling the tennis team, but he how could he without Kin realizing?

The worst part, however, was the fact that he had been searching for her the _entire day_ and not found a trace of her.

Tennis courts? Nope.

Her family? Nope. Even her older brother had no idea where she was.

Her despicable boyfriend? Or St. Rudolph? Nope, Yuuta hadn't seen her all day.

Where was that capricious girl? Seriously, he had peeked in every corner of every alley. It's like she had vanished for a day, but it was her _birthday_, the one special day for a person in a single year.

He was on the verge of desperation when it was seven in the evening, and he had spent an entire day running around.

'You didn't get kidnapped, did you?'

Collapsing on the sidewalk in fatigue, he sank to his knees. Maybe he should just give up and go home. She'd definitely go home at night, at least.

"Taro-chan?" He lifted his head from his knees.

"_Kin-chan_?" He spent hours upon hours of searching aimlessly and here she was, standing right in front of him carrying an overload of... _books_? "Where have you been?"

"Why, at the library. I finished all my homework today, even math. There was a cute guy there who agreed to be my tutor. What was his name again? Akaya? At first he was being a jerk but then I swiped his homework and he finally agreed. Aren't you proud of me?"

The blue-eyed kid could not stop staring at her in shock. It was easier for him to believe that the world would die tomorrow. At least he would get to spend the night with Kin, which was enough for him. But this...

"You... finished... your homework... on your birthday? What happened to the world's biggest procrastinator?"

She blinked, letting his words sink in. "You're right. It's my birthday, isn't it?"

Both Inner Kin and Inner Taro officially committed suicide.

"You seriously forgot that it was your birthday?"

"The thought... never occurred to me. So that was why my family was acting so strange yesterday."

"They're all waiting for you back home."

"Well, they're going to have to wait a little longer," she smiled crookedly. "Come on, Taro-chan, follow me." Swinging her bag to her other shoulder, she pulled Taro's wrist.

"Where're we going?"

"You'll see." To Taro's astonishment, Kin was unbelievably _fast_, as swift as the wind. Her chocolate-brown hair almost choked him as it swayed in his face. Frankly, the reason he didn't tell her was because he was enjoying it, much to his chagrin.

"S-slow down, Kin-chan," he gasped.

"Oh, gomenasai, at least the training's paid off, neh?"

'How can she run like that with weights and that bag of books? On her last birthday, she hated running. In fact, she hated everything that Kunimitsu was good at.'

"Isn't running wonderful?"

'She did not just say she liked running. I'm hearing things.'

"I don't know, it makes me feel _free_, somehow. It wouldn't be so bad if I could just run forever. Run beyond Mount Fuji, beyond the cheese-crusted moon and into the crevasses of the universe. I heard that there was a solar system with four suns. Isn't that amazing? Four orbs glowing in the sunset? It's 150 light-years away, but if I kept running, I'd make it someday, wouldn't I?"

"..."

**Inner Taro: Are you sure she isn't on crack?**

"Hey, if I don't make it in tennis, I can always aim for the Olympic track team. Hm," she joked. "Oh, come on, don't give me that face! You're too serious, Taro-chan. Well, we're here."

She settled her bag on the swishing blades of grass and propped on the ground, her hands under her head. Kicking off her flip-flops, she closed her eyes.

**Inner Taro: I guess this is what you call basking in the ambience, huh?**

He settled down on the ground, craning his neck upwards.

Sunsets were never like how they described it in books. Foggy, fiery, flamboyant... _The distant teals and tangerines meshed in the crowded horizon as the hazy orb fought the skyscrapers for a fat place to squat..._ Gack. Alliteration always killed Taro's brain. He tried to think of other things.

For instance, how had the engineers in Japan managed to construct modern skyscrapers these days with all these earthquakes? What about that new super building that's supposedly miles high? He didn't care about all the new technology that made it possible, but wouldn't that heavy of a building, like, sink through the ground? Wouldn't it get knocked over by a typhoon? At the very least, the people on it must get seasick from the swaying in the wind. Maybe he could become an architect or a writer when he grew up.

'Perhaps, when I grow up, I could write a biography about Kin or... _us_.' He immediately flushed at the idea. It would be light-years of effort before any of his dreams were ready for the plucking.

It was a nice little sight really. The water rippled contently, reflecting the amber clouds in a double image. The light tides swept in and out, grabbing pebbles in each wave. The rest of the world seemed as distant as the stars. The chiming of bicycles, the roar of engines, the chatter of college students... the cacophony of the city melted into the scenery just like the waves of heat blurred the wisps of pollution like a mirage.

"You know what, Taro-chan? I bet that one day, Ryoma-kun is going to make his father look like an amateur at tennis. It's hard to explain, but the more I played him, the more there seemed to be an aura coming out of him, an absolute determination to rule the court like an emperor... or a prince, I suppose, for now.

"He taught me something that I won't ever forget. Tennis isn't about your serve rate or your sprint speed. It's not about what flashy techniques you can concoct or how to wow the audience into seeing the most magnificent match of your lifetime.

"Tennis is a battle of will.

"I lost to Echizen because he wanted to win more than me. It's as simple as that. I can't beat onii-chan right now because I'm not motivated enough."

"But Kin-chan! You've worked so hard!"

"No," she shook her head, "I haven't worked hard enough. There is no excuse for losing. _None_. The losers give excuses like, 'oh, my leg got a cramp' or 'oh, that guy's serve is too good and I just can't compare'. You know what I say to those people? Why didn't you prevent your leg from cramping up? I guarantee you, if they had done the proper exercises and training, their leg would not have cramped up. If that guy's serve is so amazing, why don't you get an even better serve? 'Oh, I'm just a girl and he's a tensai.' Well, you know what? Get some gender-changing surgery or something. Get the best coach in the world, train ten times harder, and I guarantee that the results will change.

"Of course, in this unfair polarized world, there are always two ends of the spectrum: the gifted geniuses and the not-so-perfect losers. Guess what? History only praises one. But you know what? That's okay, because us losers want it way more than the smart people and eventually our ambition will prevail at the top."

'...She's just blowing off her frustration from losing to that kid, isn't she?'

**Inner Taro: Yup.**

"Before I fought Echizen, beating onii-chan was just a goal, just like acing every math quiz, and you know how well that ended up. It's one of those damned psychological twists in the world. Deep down, I didn't truly believe that I could beat him either. Now I can actually see it. If I keep on running on beyond infinity, I'll get there. One day.

"Plus, algebra is actually pretty much the same as tennis."

'I can't believe she just said the Forbidden Word.'

"Instead of working out the body, it's a challenge for the brain. I believed I was absolutely hopeless at math, so I became hopeless at math. Before I'd even open my textbook, a subconscious part of my brain automatically switched off because I thought it was a lost cause. However, when I actually _believed_ in myself and _tried_, I ended up getting more right answers than wrong, which is definitely an improvement, considering I usually end up with nothing."

Taro couldn't believe what he was hearing: Kin's true confessions from her heart.

"I'm sorry that you have to listen to my rant."

"I-I don't mind at all. Really." Flushing, he thought, 'Actually, I'm enjoying this far more than you'd ever suspect.'

"Well, Taro-chan, that's why I love you."

'She said it... the L word...'

Yup, that's it. All of this was way too good to be real. It was a dream... all of it... but at least he could enjoy it while it lasted.

"I can be myself when I'm with you. I _am_ myself when I'm with you. It's a relief, really, from all that bossing around at the club. I can tell you things I can't say to anyone else, not even onii-chan because he'd end up silent or asleep and then we'd fight. Trust me, it's happened before. Onii-chan is definitely not the best counselor out there. But as for you, I can let my guard down and let my words stay when they fly out of my mouth."

He was in heaven.

"So basically, what I mean to ask you is: will you join me? Like Echizen said, only one person can stand at the top and I swear that as long as this sun rises and sets, I will become number one."

Taro gratefully wrapped his pinky around hers and alleged, "Standing witness to this cornerstone of history, I promise that I will become your pillar of support, now and forever."

'Please don't let this be a dream. Please...' Blinking back tears, he stared at the girl- no, woman who claimed his heart from the first time they met.

**Inner Taro: You're pathetic. Seriously, you're _12_, for goodness' sakes...**

Ignoring the pestering little voice in his head, he exclaimed, "Oh, I forgot!" He pulled out a package from his pocket. "Otanjou-bi omedetou gozaimasu!" Blinking, she snatched the trinket and inspected it in the amber background.

After blinking for a few moments, she snapped, "What is it?"

"It's a good-luck cat, a maneki neko. My grandmother gave it to me, telling me to give it to the person who means the most to me. To see that?" He shifted the talisman to the side. "Ao-ki. It's our family emblem."

Gaping openly, she bit it.

He snatched it back protectively, hugging it to his chest. "Gaahh! What are you doing?"

"Huh, it's pure gold," she commented. "So your family heirloom, huh? I don't want it. I could use the luck, but I haven't done anything to deserve it."

"But Kin-chan, you've done more than enough! To me, you're the most beautiful woman who ever lived!"

He immediately cupped his hands over his mouth. He did _not_ just say that.

She cocked a twitching eyebrow and got a better look at his boiling face. "I never knew you were quite the sycophant, Taro-chan." Pinching his cheek teasingly, she added, "You're pretty cute yourself."

Taro could have died right there as the happiest man who ever lived.

**Inner Taro: Look, if you don't tell her you love her now, you'll never get another perfect opportunity like this. The birthday, the sunset, the present. I'm not a superstitious person, but really, it's like this spot was made for this moment, you know?**

'Yeah, you're right. Aishiteru, aishiteru, aishiteru... Just get it over with in one breath.'

"A-a-a-" Still, no matter how hard he worked his jaw, the word never came out.

"Taro-chan, I never knew you were so fond of tongue twisters," she joked, cocking an eyebrow.

**Inner Taro: Just tell her, kid! It's not that hard. Do you want me to do it for you?**

'IIE! Don't you dare.' His hand shaking harder than a leaf in a typhoon, he put the talisman back into her hand and rolled up her fingers.

"Keep it, Kin-chan. For my sake." Mustering the biggest smile he could manage, he took a deep breath.

"Kin-chan, I have to tell you something. You have to promise me that you won't laugh afterwards."

"Taro-chan, you're emitting heat rays greater than the sun. If I laugh at you, I'm seriously concerned that you'll explode, go nova and drag me into a black hole."

"Hehe..." Scratching his head, he relaxed his body, embarrassed that his uneven breathing was so easily distracted this serene moment.

"Kin-chan, a-"

_Rumble._

"Ash-"

_Groan._

"Sorry, Taro-chan, that was my stomach. Come to think of it, I haven't had any dinner yet," she frowned, putting a finger to her lips. "What were you talking about?"

Now he couldn't say it.

'It's okay. She's had way too much on her mind recently. I don't want to add to her burdens. Yes, I'll tell her after the Kanto Tournament.' His decision made, he took one last peek at the afterglows of dusk and the faint crescent of white.

"Let's go. I know a new buffet that just opened and it'll be my treat," he offered her a hand.

Her brilliant smile nearly made Taro melt. Their fingers clasped together. "This is why you're my best friend."

In the end, it was Taro who received a gift, not Kin. Oh, the irony.

---A/N---

Hope you enjoyed it, neh? I swear, my stupid computer _hates_ me. It seriously has a personality of its own. See, there is a one half chance of my computer having working sound (probably because of a virus) when the sound device isn't disabled. However, when we were on vacation, it had sound all three times my mom turned it on and I was like: 'WTF? Maybe the virus went away.' Then I come home and turn it on and wala, there's no sound.

Maybe I should name the computer. What do y'all suggest?


	20. The Departure

Chapter 20: The Departure

**Inner Taro: Who's departing? What? I don't get it... Hm, hopefully, with any luck, it'll be that despicable boyfriend of hers...**

**Inner Kin: (smacks) With any luck, it better be you.**

"You drew Rikkaidai Fuzoku Chuu."

_Cricket. Cricket._

"That's correct, fukubuchou."

"Of _all_ schools, you drew _Rikk-ai-dai_." 'What happened to Fukushi's luck?'

Nervous stares.

"So what if they were last year's winners? This is a great opportunity to show off our growth. We'll crush them-"

"Meet me in the principal's office, Fukushi-buchou."

"-so hard they won't have any idea what hit them. What? The principal's office?"

**Inner Kin: You have no idea what you just got yourself into, kid.**

---Three Days Later---

"I'm going to die. I hope you get charged with murder, fukubuchou."

"Suzuki-senpai, if you don't get up this nanosecond," she smiled sweetly. "No one's going to find your body. I'm going to weep an ocean before your empty coffin, don't worry."

Suzuki jolted from the ground. This girl was just so unrelenting. Suzuki didn't think that he could make it out of the five-day training camp alive. Why hadn't he feigned a fever or something?

"Hm..." she pouted her lips. "Pretend the ball is my face."

He didn't have any problems after that.

---Meanwhile---

"GACK!"

_Fshh!_

"Get water, hurry!"

He flicked off the lid and desperately dumped water, appeasing the dancing sparks of fire with a sharp _hiss_.

"Oh, thank God, I thought I was going to burn down the building."

"Is it still edible?" Yori inquired, grimacing.

Taro gulped.

"Let's hope so, because I spent 2,000 yen on tomatoes. Kin's going to have my head."

"Here, let me." Yori grabbed a spoon and audaciously took a bite while Taro gaped in awe. "A bit burnt, but not beyond redemption." With a flurry of swipes, he sorted the black crumbs from the colorful bits and added three yolks.

"Get some garlic. Smash the side of the knife against it to peel off the skin."

"H-hai!"

"A plate, hurry."

"Coming!"

"Too small. Never mind, I'll use this. Do we have cooking wine?"

"The cupboard to the left, I believe."

"Thanks."

"Are the onions ready?"

"O-onions?"

"Oi, are you guys done yet?" Kin's sudden booming voice made Taro jump.

"A-almost."

"Go set up the table. Wait, the garlic."

---30 Minutes Later---

"This is the most delicious thing I've ever tasted! Kudos to you, Ta-Kin-chan," she raised a fork as a salute. "You look sort of... teary. Need a tissue?"

"Onions."

"Ah."

"Besides, you should thank Yori-kun, not me. He's magnificent."

"Oh please, now's not the time to be modest. I envy your husband already, Kin-chan," she winked.

An uneasy feeling entered his gut.

---That Night---

The tiny tree frogs and crickets outside chirped rhythmically as a soothing lullaby for sleep. If it was any other day, it would have pissed off all of them to death, but they had never been more exhausted in their lives and couldn't care less.

_Snore. Snore._

However, there was still something bothering Hiroki, and it wasn't just Fukushi's wheezy snoring.

"What is that _smell_? Someone please close the window."

"A raccoon, probably. I don't want to know what lurks outside this... decrepit shanty house."

"Has anyone seen my deodorant?" Itsuki's head popped in the door.

"...I think that answered my question."

_Crash._

"Chikusho, this floor had a hole in it. My back..."

_Tap. Tip-tap._

"It's raining."

"Thanks for pointing out the obvious, stinkbomb."

_Sniff. Sniff._

"God, how sensitive can you get?" Tashiro turned over and sighed.

_Snore. Snore._

"Does anyone know where fukubuchou's room is?"

"Stop being a pervert, Kiyoshi."

"Can't help it. Some people in the room are actually straight, you know."

_Glare._

"What were you insinuating again, Kiyoshi?"

"Nothing. Nothing at all."

The shadows played across the room from the flashes of lightning outside. Hiroki watched the tendrils of water droplets fall from the smoggy windows. The constant tapping and rustling leaves kept reminding him that he should be glad he was inside. Suddenly he worried about leaks. What if when he woke up, half the room drowned to death?

_Snore. Snore._

"Doumoto, you're being unusually quiet today."

_Cricket. Cricket._

"Doumoto? Psst, Doumoto!"

Fukushi stopped snoring.

"Weren't you his partner today, buchou?"

"Shit."

---Five Hours Later---

Sirens from the ambulance echoed past the hills as torrents of rain poured in sheets. The wind screamed as tree branches snapped and howled. Kin promised herself that the next morning, she would bang her head against Fukushi's forehead until she knocked herself or her captain out.

She shouted something to the paramedic who was busy loading an unconscious Doumoto, but the doctor didn't hear her.

"How long will he have to be hospitalized?" she screamed again.

"A week, maybe," he responded, "A few days if he's lucky." She nodded and sighed. He may be discharged, but he was certainly in no condition to play against Rikkaidai.

'Think positively, Kin. At least now you won't have to decide who goes on reserve. However, someone needs to stay with Doumoto. Not one of the regulars, surely. Not Taro either.'

"I'll go with him," Yori suggested. Wondering if he was telepathic, she nodded slowly. She had often seen Yori as his loyal sidekick, servile and unquestioning. Doumoto would be in good hands.

"Don't worry about him, Kin," Yori put a hand on her shoulder. "He's a big boy."

She nodded again and watched him get on the ambulance. Soaked from head to toe in a raincoat, she watched as the ambulance disappeared into the sheets of rain and the sirens drowned out by the cacophonic storm.

'Matte, he called me _Kin_?' She yelped. 'How had this guy known I had switched places with Taro?'

**Inner Kin: Hem, hem. I know how you love to bask in a thunderstorm, but uh, if you don't get inside, you're going to be out longer than Doumoto.**

"Yeah, yeah," she muttered and peeked down at the ditch where Doumoto had fallen into and no one noticed. Was everyone that preoccupied and exhausted that no one noticed he was missing? Poor guy. She shuddered at the thought of spending an entire night in the hole. It would be traumatizing for life, and it had been so incredibly close too.

'I'll never forgive Fukushi or myself for this. Some captains we were.' Trembling uncontrollably, Taro led her back inside.

**Inner Kin: I wouldn't want to have you as a mother, all right. Don't worry, you still have a few years to learn.**

'How comforting.' In a blur, she slammed the door in the bathroom and stripped off the clothes that stuck to her like a second skin. As she felt the heat of the steaming water over her skin, she sighed as she let herself float. She was paradise.

_Creak._

Her ears perked up, alarmed.

"Shut up, Hiroki! I can't see..."

Throwing her towel over her body, she grabbed her shampoo and slammed it on Kiyoshi's head.

"ITAI!" A huge red bump grew larger on his forehead. She kicked the door shut and locked it.

"What perverts..." she muttered under her breath. "I can't let my guard down for a single minute. Seriously, these guys stress me out. After all, it's not like I'm going to let Kiyoshi off the hook that easily."

Smiling radiantly as she dried her hair, she puckered her lips. By the end of the training camp, every one of them would cursing Doumoto for his luck.

---Meanwhile---

Tashirou giggled. Deliriously. He sounded like a little girl who had just received her birthday present. The sound was disturbing enough for everyone to wake up and gape at him.

"Itsuki, stop doing that," he burst into giggles again.

_Cricket. Cricket._

"Itsuki-san, can you please stop... erm, tickling him, or whatever you're doing? We're trying to get some sleep here."

"I'm not touching him. I'm on the other side of the room," Itsuki blinked, confused. Tashirou immediately shut up.

"Then who the _hell_ is..." He grabbed the thing that shuffled by him. He felt a tail slither out and something sharp. It took him a while to realize that his hair was being snipped, and that a large family of critters had cozily invited themselves into his sleeping bag.

He screamed. Like a girl, high-pitched and unrelenting. Loud enough to blast everyone's eardrums.

---A Few Hours Later---

"UP! EVERYONE GET UP!" Her screeches rang through the precious dreams of everyone in the room as they groaned and covered their ears. "NOW!"

"Fukubuchou," Hiroki protested, "it's only three o'clock in the morning." First came Doumoto's incident and then Tashiro couldn't stop screaming like a girl for ten minutes. It later turned out that Kiyoshi had crept out in search of Kin's underwear and Itsuki had lightning phobia. Hiroki had turned into the babysitting mother. None of them had gotten more than five minutes of sleep that night, except for Suzuki who had unbelievably slept through everything.

"EXACTLY! I have to beat the laziness out of everyone here!" She kicked Michiru who groaned and fell through the ground with a _thud_. "The last one out will be our target practice!"

The room froze.

"T-t-target practice?"

"That's right. Here's the point list:

Nose- 20 points

Stomach- 5 points

Groin- 30 points

Knee- 10 points

Do I make myself clear?"

Loud shuffling and groans were scattered throughout the room.

"Insanely clear," someone muttered. "I suppose the thunderstorm's reduced to drizzling."

_Flash._ For a moment the room was engulfed in blinding lightning. _Crack._ A series of explosions went off, making everyone in the room jump.

**Inner Kin: This training camp is already off to a great start, huh?**

'Well, it can't get any worse, right?'

**Inner Kin: Oh, how wrong you are, kid.**

---The Next Day---

She watched the two corpses that had fainted on the other court.

"Everyone take a water break!" she called as her watch beeped. The morning had turned into a cleaning session as everyone scrubbed every inch of the house and marked the parts that were unstable. At least they had gotten something productive done that morning.

She grudgingly took out a pen and a piece of paper. She would undoubtedly be on singles three, and Hiroki and Kiyoshi would play doubles one, but what about doubles two? She rubbed her eyes as it clouded up. Her head felt like it would explode. Well, what did she expect, dealing with those idiots for three whole days? She couldn't think at all and needed something to clear her head.

Once she had washed her face and gulped down a gallon of water, a new thought struck her. What if... what if she could try playing doubles? It wasn't such a bad idea, really, considering they wouldn't be able to score a single point otherwise.

"Come on, Michiru, Hiroki-senpai and Kiyoshi-senpai, get over here!" she called them.

"What now?" She pluckered her lips and smiled radiantly. For a moment she looked like an angel. The Devil's angel.

"Don't take that tone with me, mister," she said in a sugar-coated voice. "You're going to teach your captains how to play doubles."

Kiyoshi choked on his water. "D-doubles?" Oh boy, Michiru just could not wait.

---Half Hour Later---

He was right.

"WHY DIDN'T YOU GET THAT BALL?!"

"It was too far away," Fukushi shrugged.

"You could have reached it!" She blasted his eardrums. "What are your legs for then?"

For a moment, a flare of fury filled Fukushi. "Why didn't you get it then? The ball was just as close to you!"

"It was on your side. Duh. Do you know how to play doubles or not?"

"Why ask me a question when you already know the answer, brat?"

"Because I want an answer for sure. I don't need to explain these things to you," she stared at him, fury practically radiating from her skin.

"I don't either. You don't understand anything. NOTHING!" Everyone was staring in shock. In their entire experience, they had never heard Fukushi burst in rage before. Their captain never lost his cool, no matter what. It was part of his 'look cool, act cool and you'll eventually get a girlfriend' act.

"Oh, so you think you're so great, huh? Please, go on, enlighten me."

"You don't want me to do this," he scoffed. He was a good head taller than Kin, but she didn't back down. Her piercing blue eyes stared through him, but Fukushi would come out this challenge as the victor.

"Talk, buchou! Tell me everything!" she commanded, shoving him.

"Yeah? Well, for starters, stop treating us like dirt! We're older, stronger and more experienced than you, you little brat. Everyone has limits and you've breached them without a single thought. _I'm_ the captain around here, not you!"

"Then start acting like one!" Kin was ready to explode and no one had no idea what to do.

"Shut up, brat. I'm not done. Yeah, it's nice that you're trying to improve us and all, but this is getting way out of hand. You're just another junior high student like us, just another tennis player, actually, you're our _kohai_. I've been here for three years, damnit! You just barged in and acted like God incarnated! You cannot be the boss of everything! Has it ever occurred to you that we're happy with our mediocre tennis skills and our rotten club?!"

Everyone just stared with huge eyes. The water from the pitcher overflowed as Tashirou poured. They had never seen the two of them like this before. Ever.

"Seigaku this, Seigaku that. You just won't swallow your pride, will you, you Tezuka trash? You don't know when to stop! You know what? I was right all along." He threw his racket down on the court. "I never wanted to do this, but it's necessary. You're out of the club, bitch. _Get lost._ I don't want to see you ever again."

_Slap._ Fukushi's eyes glittered with constrained anger as three red streaks appeared on his cheek.

Kin stood there, speechless, her chest heaving. 'Don't cry. Just _don't cry_, damn it.' A lump formed in her throat as she blinked back tears. She felt the eyes of all the regulars on her back. She couldn't face them. Not now. She felt tears sting her cheeks as she turned her face away. Kicking his racket on the ground, her legs moved by themselves as she ran into the woods, away from the inquiring eyes.

She kept on running. She didn't stop. The branches clawed at her eyes and hair. Mud covered her sneakers as she ran through the dampened dirt. She tasted salt on her lips, but she didn't care. The clouds parted for a moment as the sun shone on her sweaty back.

She could go on running forever. It didn't matter to her. Suddenly she tripped over a rock and before she knew it, the ground met her face and she rolled down a hill. She felt a sharp pain in her abdomen as something sharp cut her skin, drawing blood, but then her head slammed into something and everything went black.

_"That was a great book, sensei!" The room was vivid with bright colors that reflected the innocent faces. Red, blue, yellow, green... Two of her classmates were playing with blocks in the corner. Another helper was reading a pop-up book in the other side. Outside, children giggled as they swished down the slides. She spotted Taro's head as he stuck his toes in the sandbox._

_"Come on, everybody! Gather around," the tall teacher called and the children crowded around her in a circle. Kin watched from afar, sticking her head out for a peek._

_"So, what do you all want to be when you grow up?" she asked. Everyone called out at once and she gently reminded them to raise their hands._

_"Yes, Yui?"_

_"I want to be a doctor like 'tou-san. I'll get to help a lot of people that way."_

_"That's great! Maybe one day you could be my doctor," she laughed. Her laughter was sweet and light-hearted, but pained and detached. _

_"I want to be a leader. I'll be the best leader there ever was!"_

_"So ambitious at such a young age. You'll definitely succeed," she mused to herself._

_A voice piped up, "What about you, Ayana-sensei? What did you want to be when you were our age?"_

_"Well, I always dreamed of being a wonderful wife and mother," she winked at Kin. "And I wanted to start my own nursery." Kin shifted uncomfortably._

_"I want to leave, 'kaa-san," she muttered, tugging on the hem of her dress._

_"Why don't you share what you want to be, Kin?" Her mother gave her a gentle push. She felt the curious eyes of everyone in the classroom on her._

_"I-I don't know," she glanced away, blushing. "I just want to fit in. I want somebody to love."_

_"Are you going to be a wife one day, Kin-chan?"_

_"I-I don't know," she shuffled her feet. "Who does?" She just wanted to get away from there, away from everyone's cheerful eyes._

_Everyone seemed to be doing something they loved. They knew what they wanted. Everyone except for Kin. _

She groaned as every bone in her body ached. 'I'm not the same girl that I was when I was five.' Still, her heart remained the same. She wanted to fit in. She wanted somebody to love. Most of all, she wanted to prove herself. Prove that she had a dream and she would actually accomplish it instead of just jabbing her mouth.

'So much for that.' She didn't know how long she'd been out. She knew she couldn't stay long because eventually they'd find her. Fumbling over her pockets, she found her cell phone. Grimacing at the gash on her lip and stomach, she dialed her home number. She waited patiently, leaning her head against the tree, closed-eyed. No one answered. She tried her father's workplace. No response. Sighing with helplessness, she dialed her brother's number.

"Tezuka Kunimitsu."

"Kunimitsu, get over here." She knew that he was alarmed, but she didn't care.

"Kin, what happened? Aren't you at tennis training camp?" She hadn't called him by his full first name in years.

"It doesn't matter," she murmured. "You know where I am, don't you?"

"Yes, I'll be over there as soon as I can. I'll try to contact our par-"

"Don't bother. I can't reach them. Just get over here." Then she hung up. The gash was starting to sting even when she wasn't moving. Her tears had dried on her cheeks as a layer of flaky skin.

It was over. It was all over and that was all there was to say.

---A/N---

Ha! Let everyone call Kin a Mary Sue now. I didn't plan her departure to be that extreme, but it just ended up that way. I was considering giving her an emotional breakdown, but that would come later. It started as a light-hearted chapter, but it most certainly didn't end that way. I still prefer the humor, how about it? Tell me if the oscillating is a bit too extreme however, and I'll cut it down.

Yori is going to become a lot more important later on. What can I say, my writings are extremely unpredictable, even for myself.

Anyways, the reason this took so long is because I've been working on other works, such as You're Still Mada Mada Dane and The Apocalypse: Inui's Love Potion. Check 'em out and I'll be forever grateful, please?


	21. The Divine Comedy

Either way, there probably won't be as much as humor in this series from here on out- the occasional laugh, but the rest is probably gushy drama.

Alas, I am psychic. No, so Sanada did win. Hm, what can I say? Battle of will... literally. Geni defies gravity by whispering magic words. Maybe he has hidden Jedi potential.

Boom, a new pairing: SyusukexKin. I still prefer YuutaxKin, but it's still quite amusing really...

Oh yeah, is it true for the rumor that Prince of Tennis is ending at chapter 370??? (It came from a forum site from a French site.)

This title came from Lieyan… (SCREW IT!!! Dante and Shakespeare are ALL THE SAME TO ME!!!)

Chapter 21: The Divine Comedy 

**Inner Taro: Where art thou? Of course, the course of true love never did run smooth. **

**Inner Kin: Forsooth! What light from yonder window breaks your brain?! **

** (smacks) **

Her hands folded in her lap, Kin waited impatiently for her stoic brother to show up on the driveway. Twice a beat-up truck swerved at the end of the road as she waved frenziedly, but only to end up splattered with mud.

Sweat rolled down her face as the sun rose higher in the morning sky. Her stomach rumbled noisily as she sighed in exasperation. Her brother was sure taking his time.

---The Day Before---

Tezuka stared intently as the rest of the regulars practiced footwork drills. Eiji rambled on at the same time like it was second nature, while Kawamura clumsily fell over a few times.

"This is boring. Don't you-" Echizen interrupted the captain's thoughts.

"Our first match in the Kanto Tournament is three days away. Forget the basics and you'll let your guard down."

"Hai, hai, demo-" Ryoma cut in exasperatedly.

"Would you prefer laps?"

"Understood, captain." Defeated, the shortest regular returned to his drill post with a ball in hand.

Tezuka wiped his brow. The days were heating up and soon summer would come. He remembered the sheer skill, speed and power of each National-level player. Each one of them had the ambition and potential to be the best. Glancing around, he only saw a ragtag team of teenagers. Their drills and exercises could not compare to the fancy equipment in Rikkaidai's gyms or professional guidance of Hyotei. They only had each other and one thing in common: their ambition to become Japan's number one junior high team.

A spark of incredulity flickered in his eyes.

"You don't seem like yourself, Tezuka." He felt Fuji's hand on his shoulder. "What's bothering you?"

"Nothing. Now resume your laps, Fuji." His friend simply smiled reluctantly and ran off. With a single glance at his captain's crossed arms and stoic demeanor, Fuji knew there was definitely something amiss about Tezuka.

'Mah, even pillars of support can bend, hm?'

---The Next Day---

Fuji's smile faltered as he watched Kin slam the door shut. Her clothes were torn, her hair a mess, purple bags under her eyes, and mouth silent.

As her brother demanded an explanation, she simply shrugged, looking at her shuffling feet. She paid no heed to Yuuta who was desperately trying to console her. As her head drifted off to sleep, he inspected her interestedly.

Her spirit was broken. There was no denying it.

Her innocence was torn, replaced by the recognition of her mistakes and flaws, tainted by harsh reality. She didn't try to fool anyone with her barrier of obliviousness or hyperactivity. Whenever she could help it, she betrayed no weaknesses like her brother, yet her vulnerabilities were obvious to everyone in the car. Everyone grew up eventually, and it was finally happening to the girl next to him. He vaguely wondered who had done such a thing to break Kin, who was like granite. Present, reliable, _strong_.

The Tezuka siblings were polar opposites. Kunimitsu showed no emotion; Kin censored none. He was gorgeous; she looked ordinary. He went to Seishun Gakuen; she went to Ginka Chuu. Even the miniscule details counted, down to their gender and age. In every area, Kin was at a disadvantage. Yet, they were surprisingly similar, if you got past their iron masks. They had the same absolute perseverance, burning passion and contagious charisma as well as personal insecurities and family issues.

The most pathetic fact was that neither of them knew it. Both went to great lengths to cover their personalities, subconsciously trying to outwit the other. It was quite an amusing paradox.

Seeing his little brother's distress, Fuji cocked an eyebrow.

"I apologize for her ungrateful behavior," Tezuka forced out. "Thank you, Fuji-san, for the ride."

"Anything for Yuuta's girlfriend," Yumiko smiled in return, sad eyes staring at the rode as the car swerved along the thin lane.

Somewhere along the way, the carload of Fujis got entwined in the middle.

---Later That Day---

Kin rolled around uncomfortably and dug her face deeper into her pillow, clutching the sheets.

'Wait, pillow? Sheets?'

She jolted from her bed. The clock read 4:15.

"Eh-eh-" she frowned. "Crap. Besides, how did I get home anyway? Onii-chan didn't carry me the entire time, did he?"

**'You'll never really know, will you?'**

"TELL ME!"

**'Promise me you won't freak out.'**

"Just spill it already."

**'Yuuta carried you.'**

"YUUTA?! How dare that pervert hit on me when I was most vulnerable!" She huffed before she realized that Inner Kin was laughing.

**'Just kidding. Yes, it was 'nii-chan.'**

"D-darn you..."

**'Oh, puh-lease. Don't pretend like you didn't wish for it to happen.'**

"Only you would dream of such indecent tricks, pervert," she pouted. The door creaked open as a genuinely worried face popped.

"Oh, Kin! You're finally awake," her mother invited herself in. Kin rolled her eyes and looked away. "I'm sorry that I missed your call. I was grocery shopping. I made a snack for you. After all that exercise, you must be hungry, neh?"

"Of course not. I had a very fulfilling breakfast," she mumbled crossly. "Now go."

_Rumble. _

"Come on, just take a sip." Why was her mom always so pestering? She wasn't hungry, so why didn't she understand the message, 'leave me alone'?

"I told you I'm not hungry!" Kin exclaimed with a sudden flare of irritation, sitting on her bed. To her increased resentment, Tezuka Ayana placed the tray on her desk and sat next to her, wrapping her in a one-arm embrace.

"You're usually ecstatic and ravenous after a six-hour nap. What's wrong this time?"

"Just leave me _alone_!" Kin pushed her mother's arm away. "I'm not your little doll anymore, 'kaa-san, so stop babying me like this. What were you expecting? A little heartfelt mother-daughter chat?"

"Kin, I never-"

"Save it. Look, there's no point in getting angry at you. Even if you were a teenager again, you wouldn't understand. Besides, your shakes have always been horrible. Too much sugar." She ran out the door and jolted down the stairs, never looking back. If she had, she would have seen the creases on her mother's forehead and the distraught hesitance that tore her away from chasing after her daughter.

"Teenage hormones these days," a raspy, amused voice crept from the door.

"'Tou-san, don't scare me like that," she sighed and propped on the bed. "I feel like I haven't been the best mother. Truth is that my own daughter's becoming an alien in my house. I can't bribe her with sugar or clothes and I don't know how to communicate with her anymore."

"Everything has a tendency of turning out all right. Besides," he kept a straight face, "when you were a baby, I dropped you a lot more than you did with Kin, but I still see my beautiful girl alive in front of me."

She glared at him, but grudgingly relented.

"Does my shake really taste that bad?" Nonchalant, he took a sip and immediately regretted it. He choked hard, muttering something about high cholesterol.

"Are you okay?"

Coughing, he turned away. "I-it's uh, a good idea to keep with me during judo practices. Wakes me up." Not persuaded, she took a big gulp. The words 'too much sugar' had been an understatement. Choking as she rushed to the bathroom, she couldn't help but wonder if their fight had been an excuse to avoid her food concoctions.

---An Hour Later---

Kin grimaced as she sat down on the warm bench with a sigh. She simply wanted to forget the words Fukushi shouted at her. Still, coming from that lazy arse, she knew that would never happen.

The nap was quite relieving, but her muscles still sagged in fatigue. When Kin walked, Kunimitsu ran. When Kin ran, Kunimitsu was already beyond the horizon. She was always so tired, always pushing herself beyond her limits, always worrying. She wished she could take a break and be lazy like Fukushi, but if she did so, she would lag further and further behind.

'Why am I doing this to myself?'

It wasn't even that big of a deal. It was _middle school_ tennis, for heaven's sakes. A stupid tournament full of boys who had too much time and pride in their hands. A pointless game where people smacked a ball back and forth.

Sighing, she knew she was disillusioning herself again with one of her excuses.

'If only things were that simple.'

"Thus, Ginka is shattered. Without a heart, Fukushi can't exactly function well as a brain, neh? Our happy little fairytale finally comes to an end."

The voice was naggingly familiar.

"Yori?" She straightened up at her beanstalk-sized classmate.

"Do you mind if I sit here?" He hovered beside her. In response, she eyed him suspiciously. "All right, I'll stand then."

"So..." Her voice trailed off, "how did you find me?"

"I was stalking you, of course." She glared at him again. "Gosh, looks like Fukushi stole your humor as well as your dignity. Sarcasm, Tezuka, do you know what that means?" She flushed abashedly. His belittling tone was beyond annoying. The guy was inviting a punch.

Contrary to his word, he sat down next to her. It occurred to Kin that she had never really paid much attention to her classmate. Was she really so shallow that she dismissed people by height? After a few seconds of pondering, she decided the answer was yes. It wasn't just height either. She judged people by comparing their skill, looks and intelligence to her brother. Everyone failed at that competition, but one who had come the closest was... Echizen, as much as she hated to admit.

Stop treating us like dirt! We're older, stronger and more experienced than you, you little brat.

"I'm really shallow, aren't I?"

"Yup."

Come to think of it, she did have a fan-girlish admiration about her brother. Over the years of gawking, that admiration had eventually come to an obsession of beating him, no matter what it takes. That obsession had overruled everything else. Everything.

_Everyone has limits and you've breached them without a single thought. _

"I'm really insensitive, aren't I?"

"Yup."

When was the last time she had actually shown appreciation to the people she cherished? Her mother loved making the strangest snacks for Kin, but when was the last time she had properly said, '_arigatou_,' despite the fact that her mother probably used overdue ingredients? She was taking too much for granted: Taro's reliability, the regulars' loyalty, her parents' concern, a genius older brother, even a genuinely good-willed math teacher.

_You just won't swallow your pride, will you, you Tezuka trash? _

"I've been a bitch recently, haven't I?"

"Yup." She smacked him on the back of his head.

"You aren't making this any better!"

"Sorry, was I supposed to?" He grinned aloofly.

"Che, you're worse than I am."

"No, _I_ know not to wallow in self-pity."

"I'm not wallowing in self-pity!"

"Self-denial too."

"Teme..." Kin knew this topic of discussion was going nowhere, so she sighed and moved on.

"So how's Doumoto doing?"

"Well enough. I don't think he realizes _it_ happened yet."

"I'd rather keep it that way."

"The world's biggest procrastinator, huh? You are so different from your brother, it's scary." She hated it when people compared them like that. "Are you sure your mom didn't drop you off a ten-story building?"

Boy, were her eyebrows twitching a lot today. She wondered why.

"Though you do kind of look like him. He has gravity-defying hair, but you have pretty eyes."

"Why, thank you," she replied, each syllable heavy with sarcasm.

"Plus a bushy excuse for hair, a nonexistent nose and lastly but not least, a completely flat chest. Did I mention-"

"I get your point."

"Please, tell me you don't think these thoughts every time you look in a mirror."

"You just-"

"You're an egotistical jerk. As oblivious as a rock with an insensitivity to-"

"-DON'T KNOW WHEN TO STOP!" She clapped her hands over her mouth.

_You don't know when to stop!_

Fighting back tears, no matter how hard she had been repressing and avoiding her memory, it ultimately came back to haunt her.

You're out of the club, bitch. Get lost. I don't want to see you ever again.

"I hate you," she muttered softly.

"What, me?" If looks could kill, Yori would be dead quite a few times over. "I'm completely innocent. _Unbelievably_ innocent."

"Shut up."

"No, Tezuka, I'm doing this for your own good. Don't you want to be a better person?"

"Not from you."

"That, you see, is why you are wrong, because if you aren't going to learn from yourself, you may as well go drown yourself."

'This guy is _insane_. I shouldn't listen to a word he's saying.'

"It's such a pity that you're so very gullible and stupid. After all, what else could I expect from someone who never ceases to fail mathematics _every_ semester?"

"What's your point?" 'Does this guy have _nothing_ better to do than point out all my faults and make me miserable?'

Yori was practically exploding with exasperation. "My point is that this is exactly how you act everyday!"

She blinked at him. "I-I act like _that_?"

Yori heaved a deep sigh, thinking wearily, 'This girl... is _unbelievably_ innocent.'

His dazed body with swirling eyes dropped in a heap to the ground.

"I do not act like that," she pouted. "There's no way I'm as stupid and callow as you."

"You're being insensitive again…" he reminded. "Don't you want to become a better person like the world demands?"

"Yeah, and look at whose mouth that's coming from."

"Hey, attitude reflects leadership, isn't that what they all say?" To her surprise, he laughed and she chuckled along with him.

"But..." She scratched her head. "I really never realized how bitchy I was acting. Thank you for the wake-up call. Fukushi needs to work on his communication skills too. A simple, 'stop acting like Atobe' would have been sufficient. Yori-kun, what kind of girls do you like?"

"Me? I like girls with long, flowing blonde hair, sparkling ocean-size eyes, good posture, heavenly perfume-"

**'Looks like you're not the only one who's shallow.'**

"-who praises my beauty and kisses my cheek. She would be an amazing tennis player and-"

"I meant her personality!"

"Oh, her personality? Someone polite, diligent, and fragile. A proper woman with perfect etiquette. She would have astounding intelligence and-"

"Never mind." She stalked off with a storm cloud drenching her.

"Is there something wrong, Tezuka?"

"Nothing, nothing." He watched her walk off, her head drooping and her arms slack. He knew he had been harsh with her, but he felt smug. The girl wasn't half bad, but she could be so much better. No matter what happened to her, Kin was the strong-willed and optimistic type. Tennis wasn't the only important thing in life, after all. Social skills were equally valuable.

The Tezukas were a proud family, after all. She would never show true anguish or tears. She was the kind of person who bottles it all up inside, like her brother.

_I hate you._

Still, those words were true. Kin really did hate him. An acid burned in his mouth and maybe he had gone slightly too far. Maybe she deserved an apology. He wondered why he was feeling so altruistic today. That girl really did rub off on him.

He got off the bench to go apologize, but she was nowhere in sight.

---

She stared mournfully inside the bookstore. It was locked and closed, the disheveled heaps of books and shelves thrown without another thought. She got depressed staring at the trash sprayed around street corners, the gray paint peeling off the buildings, and the roads full of ditches. She recalled the days where this had been a bustling district with newly opened restaurants and clean parks.

'Why does this always happen to me, just when things were starting to look up?'

Then her stomach rumbled. Sighing embarrassedly, she was glad no one was there to hear it. She was wrong.

"Why the bitter face?" Her eyes shined in surprise at the familiar voice.

"Fuji-kun?" She blinked at the smile from time immemorial.

"Hungry? I know a good ice cream stand not too far from here."

"No, that's okay. Thanks for the offer," she frowned suspiciously. 'What is he doing here? Was he stalking me?' She shuffled by him, taking long strides.

"Where are you going?" He asked curiously from behind.

"Home," she lied.

"Do you mind if I come with you?"

**'Yes.' **

"No, of course not." As he caught up hear her, she feigned a smile. She was surprised at how easy acting came to her nowadays. Crossdressing had its benefits after all.

"Fuji-kun, can I ask you something?"

"Of course."

"Why do you smile all the time? Hasn't Yuuta ever told you it's annoying?"

'Insensitive, insensitive-' 

'But it's the truth!"

"Why do I smile?" He sauntered closer to her pondering eyes. "Because smiles spread more smiles. If you don't have a smile, I'll give you one of mine." Her lips curved. "My turn then. How about this: do you really hate your brother?"

"Yes." It was one of the most painful honest answers Kin ever gave. Fuji's smile faded.

"Why?"

"Because he makes my life miserable. If I was an only child, my life would be so much easier."

"I see. So he makes your life difficult, huh?"

"Among many reasons, yes. However, I love him a lot more. He's affected me more than anyone else in my life- indirectly without even realizing. He was the iron wall at every end, hampering my efforts. He set the bar, and I never reached it. Because of this, I'm the person you see before you. If he wasn't my brother, I suppose I'd just be another teenage girl."

"What's wrong with that?" She glared at him and realized he was joking.

"You know me. I like feeling special."

"Like becoming the vice-captain of Ginka's tennis team?" Her jaw dropped, and she gaped at him in astonishment.

"Never tell my brother that. Did Yuuta tell you?"

He sat down next to her. "Maybe." Now she was starting to get annoyed at that smile. It kept people guessing.

"So anyways, my turn. What's your favorite hobby?"

"Isn't it obvious? Pestering Yuuta, of course."

"Seriously."

"Well, in freshmen year, I tried fervently to get Tezuka to smile- in vain, of course. During junior year, I traveled to every corner of the earth discovering new species of cacti-"

"FUJI!"

"Saa, I'd have to say photography."

"Not tennis?"

"I love the thrill, but I'm not as challenged."

"So you're not properly challenged in tennis, is that it? Come on, what do you do in tennis practice everyday if you're not playing my brother?"

"Unlike you, it's not as easy for me to get into it." His tone was curious, insinuating. She saw a curious flicker in his clear blue eyes. 'What was that? Jealousy?'

"Geez, I wish I was you. Geniuses have life so easy." Although she knew she was being untrue, he didn't dissuade her opinion.

"I guess people are never satisfied with what they have. There will always be someone better than you at anything and everything you do. It's one of the paradoxes of life that never fails to hold true."

"I'm sure you would know this very well," she replied sarcastically, smiling slyly.

"Better than you might think."

As she turned around to face Fuji, she realized that he was already at a vendor stand.

"Two ice cream cones, please," he ordered. "Oi, Tezuka-san, what flavor do you want?"

"Eh? Wait," she ran up beside him. "I'm perfectly fine, you shouldn't hav-" She waved her hands frenziedly, but when Fuji stuck a vanilla ice cream cone in her mouth, she melted as she drooled in utter contentment.

Hastily, she licked like a cat and then bit the last few bites until the crumbs disappeared.

"Ah, good food makes the world all better," she smiled, licking her fingers. Fuji laughed and took a bite. 'It's so easy to please her.'

"I'll buy you another one. What flavor?"

"I don't need you babying me. I can buy ice cream just fine by myself," she stuck out her tongue at him teasingly. "Chocolate mint ice cream, please."

As they sat on a nearby bench savoring each lick of the ice cream, she folded her legs in and glanced up at the sky.

"Still not finished yet? I don't get you. You devour the first cone in seconds and you've barely touched the second one," Fuji observed.

"Well, I like to savor each yen of my ice cream."

"I see. So my money doesn't count for anything. Only your own, neh?" She blushed slightly, shoving him lightly.

"Fuji-san?"

"Hm?"

"Thank you for picking me up. I guess I owe you one. Tell Yuuta that... I'm sorry, okay?"

"Anything for a friend. In return, you have to answer one question truthfully."

"What?" Her curiosity piqued, she looked at him suspiciously. Was she really this interesting or was he just playing with her?

"If you could have one deepest desire fulfilled, what would you wish for?" A glint of surprise shown in her cerulean eyes. Her tongue paused as she brought the cone to lap. A drizzle of melted cream splattered on her knee.

"World peace," she replied happily. He looked at her incredulously.

"All right, all right. I don't know. I've never thought about it, I guess." She stared down at her cone. Suddenly, she wasn't so hungry anymore.

"I'd wish for more wishes. Isn't that the smart thing to do?"

She could feel his steady presence next to her, waiting for a response. Still, as the silence grew more profound, she said nothing, like as if all words had been robbed from her tongue.

Kin stared at those smile-plastered lips and remembered Yumiko's cherry-lipped smile and Yuuta's wry frown. She blinked hesitantly at his impeccable mask that fooled everyone.

Except for Kin.

**'What a hypocrite.' **

---At Night---

Fuji's fingers fumbled around the telephone coils as he waited.

_Ring. Ring. Ring._

"Tezuka Kunimitsu."

"Mah, it's me."

Fuji could hear crickets chirping from the other side.

"How did it go?"

"It could have gone better if it was you talking to her, not me."

"I've tried, but she's been avoiding me ever since the prefecturals started," he replied nonchalantly without a hint of concern.

"For good reason too, considering how you're ashamed of being related with her."

"Don't be ridiculous," Tezuka rebutted.

"You're the one who's being ridiculous. She's obviously suffering from child neglect. Say, Tezuka, have you ever taken her out to ice cream?"

"Once or twice, maybe. What does this have to do with anything?"

"What's her favorite flavor then?" There came a slight hesitation.

"Strawberry chocolate."

"Wrong. It's chocolate mint."

"Well, then she changed it. I fail to see how-"

"This isn't like you, Tezuka. Not like you at all. Tennis and school are important, given, but are so is family. You can't dissuade the rest of your life because of Echizen, or the Nationals-"

"I don't need you to lecture me on my family." Fuji knew that he couldn't stay calm if they kept on talking. As the line went slack, Fuji slammed the phone down and sauntered off to bed.

As he climbed into the clean sheets Yumiko had dried earlier, he recalled his conversation with Kin.

"Only one wish?"

"Ah, only one." Her face was unreadable. He could see the blocks of chocolate floating slowly in melted mint. She held a solemn smile as she threw the cone away, wiping her hands.

"Well then, I'd wish for love."

Eh... Well, I suppose it was okay. Fuji was hard to keep IC. Here's a little crack-filled tag:

-What Happened That Night-

Fuji Yuuta was taking a periodic restroom break in the middle of the night. As he passed his brother's door, he heard a strange voice inside. 'It's probably nothing. Just the wind.' But as he climbed into bed, the noise became more profound and annoying. Deciding that his brother was trying to rid him of his sleep (of course, the Kantou finals were coming up) he creaked the door open a centimeter and tip-toed in.

Seeing nothing amiss, he always found it strange that Syusuke wore a beauty mask to cover his face every night. That constant smiling must have caught up to him so it was natural for him to worry about premature aging. As he tilted over his bed, he noticed something very disturbing: two crystal blue eyes stared back at him.

He had to clamp his mouth shut before he would die of horror. 'Aniki sleeps with his eyes open?!' Eyebrows twitching, he crashed into his desk and a few photos wafted onto the ground. Picking them up hastily, he shoved them back on and scurried to the door. Halfway outside, his mind began to process what he saw.

'WTF? NO BLOODY MURDER WAY!'

Walking backwards, he took a closer look at the photos lightened by moonlight. His jaw clanked on the ground. In each picture, there stood his brother (no surprise) deviously smiling with a girl next to him. It wasn't any girl. Nope, it just happened to his girlfriend.

"Kin-chan..." A whisper pierced the night. "So you like ice cream, hm?" It took a moment to realize that his voice was not his own. It came from the bed next to him.

Kin was glowing in each picture, cheerful and carefree. There were snapshots of them playing tennis, sharing jokes, being herself. His fingers fumbled over them as they dropped to the ground like a feather.

"ANIKI, YOU--- YOU GIRLFRIEND STEALER!"

Then he mildly collapsed onto the heap of photos. Another picture floated on top of his nose and settled there silently. It showed two friends sharing the same ice cream cone.

And hence, Fuji Syusuke received some hypocritical family issues of his own...

To Floriculture (because I like it better than Chocolate Cosmos):

MysticLegend11's list of princes:

1. Kirihara Akaya

2. Yukimura Seiichi

3. Fuji Syuusuke

4. Mizuki Hajime

MysticLegend11's list of anarchists:

1. Atobe Keigo

2. Kabaji Munehiro

3. And all those Gary-Stues out there…

My huggable little clubs:

1. Ginka (Surprising, neh?)

2. Rikkaidai Fuzoku

3. Higa

4. Shitenhouji

WHY DO YOU HATE AKUTSU? He is, I hate to admit, one of the only original characters in PoT. Unfortunate, but true. He's the only one who actually has proper flaws and personality (BEYOND saying mada mada dane.)

This chapter was the longest one yet because I had written two original drafts and combined them when I couldn't settle with either one. School's started too, so I'll try to update, but don't expect much, 'kay?


	22. Waiting for a Miracle

This chapter is dedicated to Moonlight19 for her infatuation with TezukaxTezuka. (So thank her if you like this chapter. I would have gone without it because it's WAY too crack-ish.)

Pairings: TezukaxTezuka, AtobexTezuka, EchizenxTezuka...

Chapter 22: Waiting for a Miracle

**Inner Taro: That's what I'm doing. **

**Inner Kin: Aren't we all? **

A weight had been lifted from her heart. No, not quite lifted, but shared. Kin tucked in bed, pulled her blanket over her head, and squeezed her eyes shut. Traces of the genius's smile drifted in her vision as she reminisced nostalgically.

A chill blew through the half-opened window, the curtains rippling. Outside, the planets, each shining with their own mysterious beauty, were aligned for a perfect moment.

Although she felt more complete than she had in a long time, there was still something missing. No matter how refreshing Fuji's humor or good will, he was no replacement for her own brother. Still, she was content. Waiting.

Within twenty heartbeats, her older brother reached for the earplugs on his nightstand. Despite the slight vibrations of the walls, the night, complete with open-eyed dreaming koi fish, was utterly picturesque.

Waiting for a miracle.

Like one of those impossible coincidences in the world, her prayers were answered. Soon she would regret ever thinking wishful thoughts.

---

As her consciousness cleared, the first thing that occurred to her mind was how _long_ her legs were. Wow, she really must be growing fast recently. Her bed had also gotten bigger, ironically. How had she not noticed earlier? When she opened her eyes, she found herself staring at an unfamiliar ceiling. Not only that, but her vision seemed to be a little out of focus.

She rubbed her eyes and stretched out of bed. Her finger flicked on the lights.

A heart-lurching scream could be heard from halfway across the universe, where the machinating deities of the universe were covertly chuckling.

---

"Kunimitsu, wh-what's wrong?" Tezuka Ayana jolted into his room, her heart sick with shock and worry.

"N-nothing," he stuttered. He was just a tad bit out of it, that's all.

_'It's a dream. A nightmare. You'll wake up any moment now.'_ He crisscrossed his fingers and prayed fervently.

**'If it's a dream, then why am I here?'**

_'Aahhh! How'd you get here?'_

'I've always-' 

"You're sweating heavily." His mother came and touched his forehead concernedly to check for a fever. He blinked, amazed.

_'I'M TALLER THAN 'KAA-SAN! THIS IS INSANE!'_

Seriously, his mind felt a little faint. (Or should 'her' be written?) Footsteps approached the open door.

"What is it this time?" A sleepy Kin appeared at the door with her arms crossed.

For a moment, the air was perfectly still. Then a quivering arm pointed accursedly at Kin.

"WHAT DID YOU DO TO ME?!" A vein appeared on her forehead.

Calmly with indifference, she replied, "I should be asking you that question. We got careless."

"_We got careless_?! Suddenly, I'm 179 centimeters, have horrible vision, and a freakin' GUY! I'm talking about pickles and testosterone here!"

"I can hear just fine, you know. You don't have to-"

He grabbed her pajamas and waved her around vigorously, as if demanding the answers to the enigmatic mysteries of the world. He nearly knocked out his little sister, only to be stopped from their mother's screams.

"Kunimitsu, what are you doing? You're killing her!" Alarmed, he placed her down and glanced at his hands. Was he really _that_ strong?

**'Baka. At this rate, you're going to be stuck in an asylum before dawn.'**

"Calm down. It's not like we're going to be stuck like this forever," Kin frowned, recomposing herself.

"F-f-forever...?!"

_'Calm down, Kin. It's not like being my brother is hard. I just have to plaster a permanent frown, like a grimacing gargoyle, get used to glasses falling off my nose, say 'yudan sezu ni ikou' every other sentence, and look intimidating.'_

**'Um, yeah, but you forgot about the tennis part.'**

_'Yeah, he's playing singles one, isn't he?'_

---

Evidently, that had been the first day of the Kanto Tournament.

"IT'S SEISHUN VERSUS HYOTEI?! I'M GOING TO BE PLAYING **_ATOBE KEIGO??!!_**"

Suddenly, things had turned for the worst.

---

Once upon a time, there lived a happy little boy named Atobe Keigo. His father was the all-important CEO of one of those secretly-scheming-to-take-over-the-world corporations. His mother was a horrible Mary-Sue who had covertly cheated on her husband, thus producing our beloved king of Gary-Stues. (How else is he the only child? His father must have been sterile, duh.)

Strangely, on the eve of the Kantou tournament, he was jolted awake from a perturbed soul shouting his name in vain. _'How dare those commoners shout my almighty name like it was their own.' _This greatly concerned him, yes it did, and plotted to take extreme measures of encouraging his worshippers, spreading his brainwashing and blackmailing his nemeses. However, no matter how hard he shut his eyelids under his face mask, his soul remained restless. There was a heavy foreboding in his chest, signposting that something was very wrong.

---

It was never surprising, after all, since Atobe (being a Gary-Stue) had perfect intuition. Siblings (especially of opposite sex) trading bodies was not simply _wrong_, it was some cliché, overused anime plotline or impossible sci-fi endeavor. However, in this case, it was neither of those.

It was happening... to Tezuka and Tezuka.

'It's okay, I just have to swing my racket near the ball, that's all. Atobe Keigo won't stand a chance, especially not with a hundred rabid fangirls throwing vegetables at me. But that's all right. Hyotei can beat Seigaku any day before it reaches singles one. Yeah, it's called that cheating brat called Echizen.'

Never in his life had repulsion so suddenly blossomed into worship. His lips curved a millimeter upwards as he stared out across his car window. 'It's nice sitting in the front seat.' He glanced back, flashing a triumphant smirk at Kin, who was clutching her racket in the backseat.

"Imouto-chan..." A vein appeared on her forehead. "What position is Echizen playing?"

"He's on reserve."

_'Oh, okay, I may as well commit suicide now and spare the humiliation.'_

"I just remembered something! Kin, you have to play against Rikkai Dai today," he slammed his fist on his palm. "You're signed up for singles three."

"Wh-"

"KICK KIRIHARA'S (censored)!"

"KUNIMITSU!" The car jolted alarmingly for a second as her mother's hands jerked the steering wheel involuntarily. To their amazement, she turned into the nearest parking lot and pulled over.

"..."

"Um, 'kaa-san? What's the meaning of this?" Her eyes were fiery orbs of fury while her hair defied gravity by standing on end with a dark red aura. He backed away with fear churning in his stomach.

"I'm not moving until you confess what drugs you've been taking without knowing their irreversible effects?"

"D-d-drugs?" Kin looked mildly amused. Kunimitsu was speechless. '_Actually, you know what? That kind of makes sense. How else would nii-chan be 179 centimeters without steroids or drugs?'_

**'Don't steroids stunt height?'**

_'You be quiet.'_ Suddenly an incontrollable sensation of giggles wracked his body.

"HAHAHAHA! Nii-chan? Steroids? Kiver tumors, kidney tumors, shrunken testicles, baldness and high blood pressure? Oh. God." A sudden memory –certainly not a nostalgic one- rushed to his vision. Suddenly she felt a bit ill at the stomach.

In the backseat, Kin sighed. They were never going to arrive on time, which was a relief. Despite trying to refrain herself, she couldn't help but wonder what a sick imagination her older brother had.

---

_'Thank God I got rid of onii-chan. Now all I have to do is sit here and pray for Seigaku to lose.'_

The screams of skinny Hyotei cheerleaders blasted his eardrums. Strange. He realized he had such sensitive hearing. After all, he did live with a special hyperactive someone. '_Ah, so that's why he has those stash of earplugs.'_

"You seem nervous today, senpai." He nearly jumped as he heard Echizen sneak up from behind.

"N-n-not at all..." His eyes widened deliriously as Echizen's hand trailed down from his shoulder and to his waist. He squeaked, but was silenced by ravenous, abyss-deep hazel eyes.

The prince of tennis tiptoed to the captain's ear. "This is what you get for placing me on reserve." For some reason Tezuka knew he was going to be a bit sore by the end of the day.

---

Tezuka swore he had wetted himself. Testicles were hard to control, after all. How did guys do it? _'Seigaku... won? Chikusho, onii-chan's an even better captain than I imagined. That means I'm next.'_ He was amazed that he was actually able register the full meaning of that: utter humiliation. Ripping up his reputation into shreds and burning it in an inferno.

"Buchou, what are you waiting for? HIT THE BALL," Echizen reminded.

"Right." He swung the racket as hard as he could and missed a dead ball by only 20 centimeters or so. 'I'm trying.'

"Is your arm injured?" Echizen's voice was soft but firm. "We can stop with warm-up if you want to."

"I'm fine," he snapped, sweat rolling down his face. '_Don't panic, don't panic, don't panic. What would onii-chan do if he was me?'_

**'Uh, he is you.' **

'Okay, scratch that. SOMEONE HELP ME...' It took all of his self-control not to rip his hair out of his scalp. (It still took a while to get used to how light his hair was.)

"You're up now, buchou." Fuji's smile was a tad bit concerned and radiating worry. _'Wow, I must really suck.'_

**'You bet.'**

"Hmph," he snorted. "Yudan sezu ni ikou. Let's go!"

---

It was a beautiful crisp day, a day where significant events occurred. The air held a buzz of anticipation as the final match between Seigaku and Hyotei was imminent... the beginning of the end. He was awed by the sheer gravity of the Kantou preliminaries, but what could he have expected? Their opponent was Hyotei Gakuen, the most elite private junior high in the region, maybe all of Japan.

His hands trembled. The tennis grip felt alien in his seemingly elongated fingers. The atmosphere and action flooded him in the alien and uncomfortable body. His sight was a myriad of colors and his hearing a cacophony of cheering. _'I'm losing focus.' _He closed his eyes and tried to shut out the extraneous screaming.

"The winner is Hyotei! The loser is Seigaku! KATSU NO WA HYOTEI! MAKERU NO SEIGAKU! The winner is Atobe! The loser is Tezuka! SHO SHA WA ATOBE! MAE SHA W-"

"SHUT THE (censored) UP!" Tezuka's voice rang across the courts, shocking everyone into stunned silence. Even Atobe seemed momentarily bemused by Tezuka's sudden outburst. "Listen up, you spoiled brat." This was no time to be nice. "I, Tezuka Kunimitsu, captain of Seigaku, will crush you."

**'Ah, classic. Big words, big words.'**

---

Tezuka threw the ball in the air. He swung the racket back and slammed the ball across the court. It hit the net and rolled down for the hundredth time that day. _'Strange. Why is it that I've never served it inside?'_ Everything was different. He was far taller, had longer reach and a faster sprint. His reflexes reacted at breakneck pace, but it wasn't much use because he had almost no control. He always swung too high or too hard, misjudging his power and angle. Once the ball had done a boomerang snake and hit the referee smack on the forehead. _'Now that requires skill.'_ His pulse sped up in tension as the ball approached, but the steps he took were too big and the ball zoomed past his ear.

There was no cheering. Only staring. Every two eyes were crowded around this impossible phenomenon, an unbeknownst gift from a higher power.

"Is that really captain? Or has some alien from Mars taken over his body?" Echizen inquired sarcastically. Even a trickle of saliva had fallen from Inui's mouth.

"T-this is illogical," he muttered, rapidly scribbling down information about Atobe.

"Life's illogical, get over it!" Tezuka screamed from the courts in frustration. _'I never knew sensitive ears could be such a pain.'_

"Game to Atobe! Five games to love!" Tezuka threw his racket halfway across the court, only for the handle to get stuck between two wires. He walked over and spent a minute wrestling it out. _'I need to do something. Or I'm doomed for eternity. Scratch that, I already am...'_ There was no time to act like Tezuka Kunimitsu, because Tezuka Kunimitsu could not save him right now. It was the ultimate act of radical desperation.

"Atobe Keigo, I need to speak to you in private," he spoke quietly, mustering his best poker face.

"Speak here. There's no-" Knowing that he would answer like that, Tezuka grabbed Atobe's wrist and pulled him into the locker rooms in a flash. _'Wow, I really am fast.'_

"Are you trying to kill me-" Tezuka's hand muffled the rest of his shouts.

"I know your secret." All resistance immediately slackened.

"I-I don't know what you're talking about," Atobe muttered, his voice wavering.

A ruckus was heard outside the door as the loyal worshippers of Atobe came as his savior. "TEZUKA KUNIMITSU! RELEASE THE ALL-MIGHTY-"

To everyone's surprise, Atobe shouted, "Be quiet!"

The Seigaku captain didn't know what he was doing, but he never did, so he may as well give it a wild guess. "You're an illegitimate child, aren't you? The sole heir to the great Atobe Empire."

"I don't know what you're talking about." The purple-haired president's response came a hesitation too late. His gray, concentrated eyes radiated disbelief and denial.

"For someone who uses such propaganda, you aren't much of a liar."

"For someone who has a poker face, you aren't much of a tennis player."

**'Oooohhhh, burn.'**

"So, of course you won't mind if this information just happened to leak around the corporations and eventually Hyotei, neh? I can see the title splattered across page three. Maybe then your real father will claim you, hm?" Atobe straightened his collar. He had two choices: his reputation... or his reputation. Revenge would come later.

"What do you want?"

"Here's the plan..."

---

In a show of melodramatic emphasis, Tezuka hit the ball, his arm curving awkwardly. The impact of the ball knocked the racket out of his hand.

"AAAHHHHH! MY ELBOW!" He shed fake tears of remorse, clutching his shoulder.

**'Um, you mean shoulder.'**

"AAAHHHHH! MY SHOULDER!" With a melodramatic run, all the regulars approached him with compassionate tears running down their eyes.

"Buchou, how could you do this to us? Sacrifice your arm for the team?"

"Does it hurt, Tezuka-senpai? Should I call the medic?"

"You're so admirable. Playing with an injured arm for this long-" 'Tezuka-buchou certainly has a ring to it.' Atobe crossed his arms in embarrassment. Tezuka was soaking in every second of the attention. 'Poor guy. Let his guard down.'

So swiftly the day had passed that the brown-haired captain had not noticed the shadow of a young teenager in the corner, staring intently and amusedly. "So this is the price of getting careless... getting crushed, indeed."

---

The pestering ringing of her alarm clock drove a knife through her senses. Her fingers fumbled until she slammed it silent, dropping to the ground in a mighty crash. She laughed bitterly at the ironic revelation. '_Chikusho, it was just a dream. It was all just a dream.'_ She could have cried from relief and despair. Still, the sky was so vivid, the voices so calculated, and her body so... uncoordinated.

Suddenly, the door slammed open. Her brother's fat head appeared in the way of her blurred vision. "What happened to your elbow? Or was it your shoulder?"

Those questions struck her as mildly familiar. She realized why. _'It really is the first day of the Kantou tournament. I won't be playing Hyotei this time- it'll be Rikkai Dai. Kuni-nii really will be playing Atobe this time.'_

But first, there was something she needed to find out.

"Onii-chan, you have to answer this truthfully from the depths of your heart. Are you gay?" He blinked. Once, twice, a third time. "With Echizen?" He was starting to walk away. She sighed with relief. "Wait, is Atobe Keigo really an illegitimate child?!"

---

My theory is yes. Anyway, the reason I updated is because it's my birthday. If you guess my age correctly, I'll tell you.

Sorry if you don't like this chapter. I want to re-write it, but I don't think I have enough time. It's so crackish that I considered discarding it, and it didn't start that way at the beginning. I'll be participating in NaNoWriMo (look it up if you don't know about it.) So, don't expect many updates next month. I still need to think up of an idea.

The countdown continues: four chapters left until the end. (Yup, it's true.)


	23. The Ephemeral Fad

I'm so sorry for taking so long to publish this chapter. I'm so proud of myself for finally publishing. School has started, and I've recently become addicted to other animes and mangas. I had originally planed a sequel for this series, but I doubt I'll ever write it, because our beloved series is coming to an end (at least the manga anyway.) The anime's still continuing with a third OVA series, with an additional Chinese live-action drama series, but I still only consider the manga canon. Forgive me if it's a crappy ending, but the manga's ending isn't going to be so bright either...

**Chapter 23: The Ephemeral Fad**

She sighed. It was not a sigh of defeat or exasperation. It was an expression of self-pity. She knew that she should not complain about her life given to her, and she knew that there were even no one could change. But once again, in a swirl of déjà vu, she had been let down again.

_'I disappointed them the first time. What more can I expect from Fukushi?'_ There were simply things that were beyond her control and she knew it well. _'Perhaps it's a relief. We won't be mutilated by Rikkaidai Fuzoku now. Maybe they have a very good reason. Like getting in a car crash.' _She licked her lips at visualizing Fukushi's face cowering in regret. _'Or being attacked by terrorists.'_

She sat down in her green Ginka jacket on the bench to procrastinate watching Seigaku's match against Hyotei. There they appeared, passing like a group of celebrities. Each wore the yellow-brown jackets of Rikkaidai Fuzoku on their backs with an indefinable air of achievement. Their stride reflected hints of reserved disdain and superiority; their movements held a restricted reservoir of discipline and strength. She was invisible to them, an irrelevant fleck in the mass of inferiority.

For a moment, the verdant-green eyes of Kirihara Akaya brushed over her own mordant ones in bemused curiosity. There was something about him that challenged her, rousing a burst of hostility in her eyes. Maybe it was that seaweed-black hair or tantalizing curve of lip.

As they passed, she was shocked herself fighting back tears. A lump growing in her throat, she bit her lip in hesitance. _'Those arrogant little...' _Her hands jittered in restlessness. She had kept silent and still for too long. She wanted to release her exasperation and frustration on something– preferably that narcissist bastard. The practice camp, the inter-ranking tournament... could she really let it go, all for naught? Was tennis really that meaningless: an ephemeral fad, a time-wasting hobby?

"Wait! Please wait!" She ran towards the disappearing yellow jackets. "Are you Kirihara Akaya?" Slowly, each of them turned around in solemnity. Her heart sank from intimidation.

"What do you want?" His tone was derisive and harsh. She noted, with a sense of satisfaction, that not only was he the shortest and youngest member of the team, _she_ had grown taller by at least a centimeter.

"Were you going to play singles three against Ginka?" She found herself breathless under the flippant stares from the rest of the team. _'Are they really junior high students? More like professional Grand Slam winners...'_

"Maybe. Who're you?" A flicker of curiosity flickered in his eyes.

"Let's play a set. I promise – I _promise_ – that won't be wasting your time." He smiled in amusement and turned around to continue walking.

"Sorry, I don't have time for fanboys." A flame of irritation erupted inside her. _'Excuse me? _Fan_boy?!'_ She clutched her fists as they continued walking, chatting among themselves.

She grabbed a ball from her bag and threw it up. In a perfect motion of her arms, she brought the racket down. There occurred an alarmingly fast collision with Kirihara's head, which brought him down to his knees. The entire team turned around in amusement, impressed by the control and speed of the serve.

"I didn't give you a choice, Kirihara _Ayaka_. If you're too chicken, I guess it's such a pity." The bump on Kirihara's head considerably swelled.

"Did you just call me _chicken_?" He turned around, revealing very scary twitching eyebrows, (with eyes dabbled with a bit of crimson) but Kin just found it amusing. _'He's so easy to instigate, unlike 'nii-chan. Looks like he doesn't have to worry about this bastard.'_ Gruffly, Kirihara tapped his racket on his shoulder and directed, "What's your name, kid?" _'Don't call me a kid. I'm just as old as you.'_

"Aoki Taro. Nice to meet you," she replied, each syllable heavy with feigned sarcasm. _'There's no way I'm letting him realize I'm that preppy kimono girl from the wedding.'_

"Oi, oi, Kirihara!" A pink-haired teammate called in an irritated voice, "I thought we were going out to lunch." He held a bored and aloof gaze at Kin, and she glared at him.

"Five minutes. If it takes me any longer, I'll treat you to anything you want, Marui-senpai," Kirihara challenged with his trademark smirk. A bubble of frustration exploded inside her.

"OI, OI, if you underestimate me, YOU WILL REGRET IT!" She waved her racket in the air alarmingly as heat waves radiated from her.

"What are you making all the ruckus for? I already promised you a match. You should be grateful!" A vein appeared on his forehead.

"Who's the one making a ruckus, huh? You should be the one grateful to play_me_," Kin screamed as she leaned forward to shout in his face.

"TEME... you little brat, I can't wait to beat you up!" As the intimate duo sprayed saliva over each other, the rest of Rikkai's tennis team watched from afar, sweatdropping.

"Neh, Kirihara-san," Marui wined, "it's already been five minutes."

"Those two look awfully comfortable around each other. Kinda like two grannies who never grew up fussing over a lost button or other," the blue-haired trickster pointed out.

"Sanada-san, you aren't going to calm them down?" The introspective data collector asked from a corner, but the vice captain's eyes were focused intently on the figure of the amateur tennis player who impulsively challenged Rikkai's Second Year Ace. "Hm, this might make some good data."

---

"Game to Kirihara! Three games to love," the umpire declared. Her breaths came in raspy, asthmatic gasps. '_I'm completely wiped out... and I haven't gotten a single _point_, much less a game. What the hell _is_ he?'_ She wiped the sweat from her brow. Kirihara's jacket wasn't even crumpled. '_What did I expect, after all?'_

"Could this be any more boring? At least score a single point, will ya?" She forced her dying muscles to support her once again, but no matter how much she willed her legs to move, they would not budge, as if her nerves had been cut.

_'What the hell is happening? Move, damnit, MOVE!'_

Her own will seemed to backfire on herself. She collapsed on her knees, her pupils dilated. Her breaths were surreally shallow, her vision hazy. The world swirled around her as she lost her grip on reality. She tasted blood in her mouth and she barely recognized the impact as her head landed on the clay court.

---

Surprise filled the black-haired tennis prodigy as his opponent crumpled in front of him.

"Hey you, it's no time to play dead," he chastised, a vein appearing. "Hey, I'm talking to you!" Marching over at the irritation of being ignored, he crouched over and poked him with his racket. "Answer when the all-mighty Kirihara Akaya is talking to you." As her flushed face gave no reply, a wall of ice slammed against him in realization. "NO WAY! You actually fainted?" He poked at the motionless figure again, as if she would miraculously resurrect.

"Kirihara, you are an idiot," Yanagi blatantly declared.

"WHAT?" Kirihara demanded at the unprovoked insult. "It's not my fault he fainted. He was so weak that he didn't know his own limits." Renji quickly walked over and analyzed her brown hair.

"As I thought... You see that?" He pointed to her hair.

"See what?" he grumbled irritatedly.

"It's a wig."

"It's a wig?! Why would he be wearing a wig? You aren't playing with me, are you senpai?" Akaya protested skeptically.

"Your opponent is a girl, haven't you noticed?"

"WHAT? A GIRL?!" Kirihara jumped away from her figure like as if she was a contagious disease. "She doesn't play like a girl. Come to think of it though, her shots were getting weaker each time." As Renji chastised him and Kirihara defended in guilt, the rest of the team stood amused.

"The game took six and a half minutes," Jackal glanced at his watch.

"Ah, and our cute little kohai was playing seriously too. Considering that only three games had passed and he can usually defeat someone within five minutes, she isn't half bad," Nioh analyzed.

"Should I ask her for her name?" Yagyuu pondered.

"No, we'll see her again eventually. The next time we do, she'll be even stronger. Of that I am sure," Nioh quirked a brow. "Anyone want to get a bucket of water?"

---

_A single point. I couldn't score a single point._ She bit her quivering lip. After a month of backbreaking slave driving, she still couldn't gain a single point against the opponents Echizen and her brother were facing.

She slammed the racket against the ball and it sprung with a sharp _pok_._'So this is the true power of Rikkaidai Fuzoku. Chikusho, chikusho, CHIKUSHO!' _Her entire body swerved, unleashing every last ounce of strength her feeble muscles still contained. Using her entire body as leverage, her racket slammed into the ball so fast that it became a blur of movements as the sound of the impact reverberated down the entire neighborhood. That hit contained everything she had—every last bit of strength, agility and perseverance. _'Yet... still...'_

The racket flew as her grip loosened, crashing onto the chainlink fence with a mighty smash. She collapsed on the court, her fist smashing the ground in frustration.

"Shit..." To her amazement, tears swelled in her eyes and fell to the ground in salty droplets. What had she been _thinking?_ She couldn't compete with her brother in tennis any more than mathematics. She was a failure, flat and simple. Even after putting her entire heart and soul into training, she had nothing to show for it. All those hours training, those sweat and tears... it was all pointless, all wasted. She willed for the tears to stop, but it only made her sobs worse as they started to burn her eyes and cheeks.

There was no one there to soothe her, no one there to ease her of her worries. She was alone, and forever will be.

Her vision was so blurry with tears and her body was shuddering so hard that she did not notice the broken tennis ball that had rolled back to her ankle with its rubber scraped off.

--The Day Before--

"Vitamin C and B are water-type vitamins. It will be processed by the body in about six hours, so turn it into a drink, and drink it multiple times. Don't forget protein, iron and calcium," Michiru lectured.

Tashirou sniffed the green, thick liquid and grimaced. It did not look very appetizing, to say the least. "Hey Michiru, can we really get stronger with this stuff?"

"You say Seigaku's strength, right?" He held up a finger. "Those guys drink the special drinks that their manager makes. That's why they can put out power at this time."

Suzuki snorted. "Buchou is just trying to sound smart because Kin-chan's gone."

Michiru drew a death glare. "Did you say something, Suzuki-san?"

"N-no, nothing. Is that all?"

"No, no. Look at this," Fukushi held up a bottle that was labeled 'Inui's Special Vegetable Juice.' "Hehe, I went and got this!"

"Yeah," Kiyoshi cheered, "if we put this in, it's the completion of the perfect health drink, The Three Flavors of Ginka!"

"HAAAAAA! GINKA!" They all roared.

"Let's make Tezuka-fukubuchou proud!"

--The Next Day of School--

"WHAT? THEY'VE BEEN HOSPITALIZED FOR FOOD POISONING?!" She shook Taro by the shoulders in disbelief.

"T-that's right," Taro muttered weakly. _'Seriously, those guys... they can't take care of themselves for TWO DAYS when I'm gone?!'_

"Well, I guess it doesn't matter anymore," she shrugged and regained her composure.

"What do you mean it doesn't matter anymore? Aren't you going to go visit them?" Taro asked in alarm.

"Who would want to visit that blockhead Michiru? Humph." She picked up her face as they sped down the hallway to history class.

"Why won't you visit them?" Taro demanded as he squeezed through the crowd.

"It won't matter, since I've quit the tennis club," she mumbled.

Taro blinked and replied, "Don't be ridiculous. For a moment, I thought you said you were quitting the tennis club." She stopped and gave him a curious, unfathomable look.

"I did." Time seemed to pause for a moment. The thought was incomprehensible to Taro. There was no way; she must be joking. But her face was perfectly serious, and she seemed perfectly fine with it.

"Oh I see, are you injured or something?" Taro suggested.

"No," she blinked, "tennis is pointless now. My parents would be a lot happier if I spent the time studying."

"But-Kin-you-Fuku-" Taro was at a complete loss for words. There was something different about the girl next to him today. She felt strangely alien, surreally detached. A hard glint shown in her eyes, but a strange sorrow lagged down the finesse of her movements. _'What is going on?'_

**'Uh-hm. So what happens next? Has Kin ultimately relinquished her dream of beating her brother? Were Nioh's prophecies wrong after all? Only three (or four) chapters left!'**

**---NOW SEEKING NEW EDITOR--- (Just review and tell me. Anyone is better than no one. :D)**


	24. Deja Vu

Judo: A type of martial art popular in Japan that involves trying to get your opponent on the ground first (kinda like wrestling, but not really). Tezuka Kunihazu, Kin's grandfather, is a retired police officer who teaches judo to new policemen.

Thanks to gold.paperclips (Lizzie) and alolha123 for editing this. You guys are the best!

Chapter 24: Deja Vu

**Inner Kin: I have lost all faith in you, oh dear creator.**

**Inner Taro: I, too, have lost all faith in you.**

**Me: WHAT THE CRAP ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT? I will stand no SEDITION FROM MY OWN NONEXISTENT CHARACTERS.**

**Inner Kin: Kin-taro. Enough said.**

**Me: Oh, dear. (headpalms)**

_Sigh._

Kin had never realized how much time she had wasted playing tennis in the last few months. It had nearly been instinct to go to the tennis courts after school, and only when she realized she was the only one there did she remember that she wasn't supposed to be there.

_'I'm soooo glad it's the weekend. But... with do I do with Yuuta? I've spent every weekend playing tennis with him, so how can I explain anything?'_

By the time she had returned home, the roof was splattered with rain. The house felt very empty, and Kin was left with a hollow feeling. The only things she could do were sleep and homework.

_'Ahh, sleep, what a glorious sensation. I've missed you so.'_ Propping on the bed, she pulled the covers over her head. She shut her eyes, curling into a small ball. A strange serenity came upon her, but unfortunately no hint of drowsiness followed. Her muscles still jittered with restlessness and a desire to move. Her body was prepared for some hardcore exercise, and it was hard to deny to the impulse.

She listened to the echoes of the rain with a heavy sigh. _'Besides, it's not like I could do anything anyway. I wonder what 'nii-chan and Taro are doing. Plus the team-' _Unwillingly, her mind drifted back to Fukushi's skinny upraised finger, Hiroki's irritated embarrassment, Kiyoshi's perverted smile, Tashiro's fake tears...

_'No, that's all over now. I've quit the tennis club. But I suppose it won't hurt to visit them-'_ But then, the last time she had seen them, Fukushi's outburst had spoken for the entire team. _'How can I possibly look at him squarely in the eye?'_ Then a possibility struck her. _'What if they aren't even in the hospital? What if it was just an excuse because they didn't want to be associated with me anymore? Because I was the only one who wanted to play in the competition?' _A wave of morbid dread filled her stomach, and for a moment she felt sick.

**'Nice going. How could you not see this earlier?'**

Besides, it didn't matter anyway. At any rate, the forfeiture was probably fortunate.

_'Was Kirihara even playing seriously?' _In the entire game, she was being tossed around as a toy. What if she was nothing but a joke to him? What if he actually knew who she was? Mortification burned through her chest. _'Why do I even bother trying to do anything? I'm just degrading the Tezuka namesake.'_

She punched her pillow in frustration, silently inventing a string of curses.

**'Is it just me or does this seem awfully repetitive? Déjà vu-ish.'**

_'Your opinions are not welcome right now.' _

**'You never learn, do you? You repeat the same mistake thousands of times, and revert back to the loser you were at the beginning. Huh, with tennis, I thought we were actually getting somewhere. You're already thirteen – a teenager. Life is a cycle of-'**

_'Not one of these lame pep talks again. Besides, you're the hypocrite. If you know what I'm doing wrong, and you know I don't listen to you, why do you keep repeating the same mistake thousands of times?'_

**'I won't always be with you. You'll see.'**

_'I'm looking forward to it.' _An awkward silence ensued in which she allowed her boiling emotions to settle.

Suddenly, a clanking ruckus jolted her awake. Her door flew open to reveal an upraised foot.

"HIIYAAAHHH!" His hands and feet became a blur in a flurry of impressive movements, and Kin was left to gawk in an extremely irritated state.

_'What is this? A sudden bout of Alzheimer's? Does he not realize that maybe this room is mine and my door has a latch?!'_

She cleared her throat. "Ahem, O Great Ojii-sama of the Judo Arts?" The balding master finished his routine with a punch and clapped his palms together with a stern face.

"What questions ponder your mind, O Great Disciple of the Unfathomable Divine Hand?"

"If mom sent you on some ridiculous mission-"

"Nope, this is of entirely my own goodwill." She blinked, now genuinely surprised and good-willed. "I heard you quit the tennis club."

"From who? It was mom, wasn't it? That stalker, she must have talked to sensei-"

"Ahem, but I was wondering then if you'd come to the police academy today. We haven't gone there since school began."

"There's a judo training session today?" Her ears perked up as her mind started exploring the possibilities.

"There're some newcomers as well that I'd like to introduce to you," her grandfather nodded, smug with his success. A rift deepened between Kin's eyebrows as she contemplated, semi-nostalgically, semi-morbidly. "Besides, some people like Shima-san have been asking me where you've been. I've been mentioning tennis, and they've all been cheering you on."

"Sure," she commented, not in the least bit sarcastic. "How long has Shima-jii-san been doing judo anyhow?"

"Maybe forty years?"

'It'll be the apocalypse before you'd keep a hobby that long.'

_'Does failing at math qualify as a hobby?'_

'Nope, too subconscious.'

"So are you coming?" His stern face still revealed a glimpse of eagerness, and Kin noticed a slight sheen of perspiration on his forehead.

"HA! That bead of sweat right there! Mom did send you after all! You can't fool me," she stuck out her tongue.

"Gah, so you got me there," he slumped, defeated. "Your mother is a beast, you know."

"Oh, I know her better than anybody," she rolled her eyes. _'But if I go, that means I'm such a fickle person! To switch from judo to tennis to judo so quickly...'_

'You're a horrible person. I think you should have figured that out already.'

"N-no, I think this is a bad idea," she shook her head fervently, trying to remind herself of the pain of broken bones and sprained ankles, the reason she had quit in the first place.

"Well then, what a pain. I'll have to tell Shima to reserve one less chair at Kawamura's Sushi..." He tiptoed slowly towards the door before he was halted by a vibrant scream.

"SUSHI? You never mentioned anything about that," she grabbed her sneakers and ran out the door. "COME ON, ojii-chan, you'll be late!"

"Oi, I don't think you even remember where the police station is!" Freezing in mid-step, she rubbed her chin.

_'Good point.'_

"Did you remember your _judogi_?"

She rolled her eyes. "Check."

"Water bottle?"

"Check."

"What about your green belt?"

Her eyebrow twitched. "It's brown now, remember? With black and white stripes. After my win at the local preliminaries, remember?"

"Wasn't that the one where you nearly choked your opponent to death?"

"That wasn't my fault, he wouldn't let go."

"Mah, children are growing up too fast. You know, if you keep failing math, you're always welcome at the police station..."

"Mom would have killed you for saying that," she stuck out her tongue childishly.

"That is why I prefer you to your older brother," he smiled solemnly.

"You said that you preferred him to me last week!" she protested.

"Nuh-uh. I think you need to check your hearing."

"I don't think we're getting anywhere with this."

--Later that Day--

When they arrived, Kin was surprised at all the new faces. How could so much change in such a short period?

"Why are there so many people here? Surely not all of them are for judo practice," she grimaced. _'Why do I have such horrible luck? Just in those few months when I was gone...' _The crease on her brow furrowed.

"Kin-chan, is that you?" Surely that voice was just a figment of her imagination. Cowering, she sped off in the other direction. "Wait up, Kin-chan!" She picked up her pace, determined to shake off this eerily familiar voice that was pestering her head. "Kin-chan! Wai-"

_'Will you shut up, Inner Kin? I'm trying to find Shima-jii-san!'_

**'Erm-'**

"There you are!" A hand was placed on her shoulder, and chills went up her spine. On pure reflex, with a mighty _hiyaaahhh _used all of her body weight to make a shoulder drop, a _seoi otoshi _by flipping him over her shoulder and slapping him on the ground, fixed in place.

"Aaaahhh... I think I'm going to throw up," a voice piped up from under her elbow. _'Huh? AAHHH!'_

"Taro-chan? I-I'm so sorry," she stuttered, shocked. "I thought you were... someone else." She gulped, visibly shocked at what damage she could have caused to her best friend.

"Oh, my back hurts... How can you possibly be a girl? You're way too strong for your own good," he grumbled, his eyes swirling.

"Sorry," she offered her hand, and jolted him to his feet. "Instinct."

"It's _instinct_ to beat up your best friend who's been doing laps chasing you?"

"Err, something of the like." She sweat dropped, nervous about why he was doing here. "So what are you doing here?" The question did not mean to be rude, abrupt or offensive, but once it rolled off her tongue, she immediately regretted it. Even the innocent blue-eyed youth blinked, shielding his hurt and surprise.

"Do I need a reason to spend more time with my best friend?" A flicker of anger appeared in the depths of his eyes. "You've been avoiding me the entire week. Are you mad? Did I do something wrong? I don't understand anything!" His distress was obvious, and she felt something like guilt plague her insides. They had always confided in each other, even in the most embarrassing of situations, but recently, because Taro didn't have the same ability in tennis, their bond was wavering. "Sometimes I feel like I don't even know you anymore. The more I try to get closer to you, you shove me away. Is it that Yuuta guy? Did he say something when the team was gone? Because if you want me to stay away from you, just tell me. It's not like I mean to be a stalker or anything."

She opened her mouth, but nothing came out except for gibberish. How was she supposed to answer? She knew what he was looking for—relief and reassurance that she was still the same Kin he had grown up loving. But how could she explain her reasons and feelings without lying? She hated to admit it, but there were just some things that she didn't understand herself, much less explain to others.

She closed her mouth, a melancholy settling over her at the realization at how much she's changed. _'I've never had problems trusting him before. Why now?'_

"...Fine then." He turned his back to her, resisting a sudden lump in his throat. "I guess I'll see you at school on Monday."

"I-" She closed her eyes, hoping that she wouldn't regret this day. _'Curse teenage hormones.'_ "GET BACK HERE!" She didn't understand her own turmoil, but something like a volcano erupted inside her.

She jerked him back by the collar, alarmed to see his eyes teary, but that did nothing to appease her fury. "I wasn't done talking to you," she warned in a dangerously low voice. "Why do I have to tell you everything? Do I have no privacy in my own thoughts? This does not concern you, Aoki. Besides, Fuji-chan has done absolutely nothing. You're simply jealous." Her eyes flickered dangerously. "For goodness' sake, why do you have to make me feel so _guilty_ about myself? These are my own personal decisions, and if you really cared about me, you would find out no matter what, even if I didn't say anything."

Finally done with her childish tantrum, she let him go. He was paralyzed with amazement. _'Did she just—n-no way. I don't understand, but at least she's talking to me now.' _

Suddenly, a miracle happened. With nearly overflowing tears, he smiled—a gorgeous, innocent smile that glowed with purity and simplicity. It was the same trademark smile that he had so artfully mastered—the same one that she had fallen in love with at first sight. "Yay, you're back, Kin-chan."

She was so flabbergasted at his fawning expression that she decided that she didn't understand him any more than he understood her.

"Hey look, it's the love-struck duo again," a familiar voice teased.

"Shima-jii-chan! We're no more love-struck than you are to Miroki-baa-san," Kin glared at him, a smile tugging at her lips.

"S-shh, how'd you find out about that?" He sweat dropped.

"Well, it's pretty much common knowledge..."

"Don't tell my wife, okay? She'll—"

"Don't worry about it. I'll be sure to tell her," Kin beamed, oblivious to a slouching Taro.

"If you do, I'll beat you to a pulp," he challenged, staring daggers.

"Bring it on, old man. It's time for the last generation to know their place. Hmph," she smirked confidentally, tilting her chin up.

"Yeah, well, wanna fight?" He raised his fist, full of pride and determination.

Kin pointed her thumb down. "You. Are. Going. Down." She said, emphasizing each word.

"Oh, not this again..." The spectators groaned, and no one noticed a whimpering Taro in the corner.

--Round One--

Tezuka Kin squinted her eyes in fierce concentration. The most important moments of the game were in the first few seconds, where most of all the opponents were defeated. Her stance felt awkwardly familiar, but her judo reflexes and impulses were still very much intact. Her muscles were slightly stiff and tense, but with it came a burst of adrenaline, and Kin licked her lips. She scrutinized every tiny movement of her opponent, her eyes prying for any sign of weakness or attack. Her feet moved on instinct, as if reacting to the silent rhythm of the opponent. He had the upper hand, and he knew it. She hadn't practiced in months, and her entire body was tense.

But that, she knew, was soon about to change. She would create her own beat, her own melody, and force _him_ to dance along. And in a tiny misstep or mishap, she would attack—vigorously, mercilessly and fatally.

She missed this sensation so much.

Her feet picked up the pace. She swung her head back, swinging loose punches, testing his reflexes. Deliberately slowly, she took a step back, faking an opening.

He saw it, and fell into her trap... literally.

She recognized the movement. _'Tsuri-goshi.'_ And she knew exactly how to counter it. On the first impact, she twisted her body to the left, performing an _uki-goshi_. She was pretty impressed for a second at how agile the old man was, despite his seeming fragility.

_'But not fragile enough_,' she thought as she pinned him down with her knee, shining a bright grin of victory. Her grandfather blew the whistle and immediately the crowd went in an uproar.

"4.76 seconds," he said, glancing at his stopwatch. She beamed a huge smile, both relieved and amazed by her sudden, extreme burst of energy.

"T-that was not fair! I couldn't even react. Th-that girl—she's improved!" The old man gaped at her incredulously, waving an accusing bony finger.

Laughing, Kin replied, "No, I just think that you've been slacking off recently, Shima-jii-san. Of course, if you actually went seriously on me, you would've stood a chance, right?"

"I-Impossible..." He stood there, flabbergasted. Then, more quickly than she thought humanly possible, he grabbed her shirt and moved their faces closer. "What's your secret? Who's been your master at judo for the past few months? WHO, I demand you?!" Eyes wide, she tried to back away, but to no avail. "A secret martial art champion who lurks in town? Training day and night to avenge me? No, it can't be—STEROIDS?"

"Aahhh!" Shivering, she escaped his grasp, terrified by his sudden accusations. Really, had her skills improved that much from tennis? Agility, strength and reflex? It didn't seem possible, in such a short time...

"So you're not going to talk, eh? Fine then, I'll do it seriously this time, and squash the truth out of you!" She opened her mouth to protest, but it didn't seem like she had much of a choice-

--Round Two--

A wave of unease passed through her this time, as rays of morbid hatred seemed to emit from the beady eyes of her opponent. _'Is it just me or is this rivalry a little too one-sided?'_ However, she didn't let that bother her at all. She loved this—the tingling of anticipation in her muscles, ready to spring at any nanosecond. The old man was still quite decent, but no stronger than a green belt, she had to say. His skills were getting a little rusty, and he was far from his prime; on the other hand, she was barely there yet.

Judo was a give-it-all sport. A condensed world within a few seconds or minutes, and it suited Kin perfectly, because she was an explosion of energy. But that explosion took diligent pains to perfect during its release and control, because when it came to ground wrestling, her skills were absolutely abysmal, due to her lack of extended stamina and strength, and her old friend knew this very well.

This time, however, a confrontation on the ground seemed inevitable. She met a miniscule relapse when her head struck her ground, her dark hair covering her eyes. Yet now, the movements came much more fluidly. Her body knew precisely what to do with no excess time or energy wasted. Using the momentum of her newfound determination, she swerved her body upright, forcing him into her former position. He could only struggle, imprisoned by a little girl.

"Shima-jii-chan, why do you make yourself look so embarrassing?"

--Round Three--

Tennis _had_ helped. Immensely. Incalculably. It was like she was a completely different being now. Her nerves and muscles seemed to be on a completely new level of function, trained by months of continued backbreaking routines. Her muscles were warm from the warm-up, and this time, Kin would not be caught off-guard.

She knew that her opponent still held a very high degree of restraint against her. He chose not to use his famous choking techniques or shoulder throws, because his pride prevented him by going all-out on a measly female teenager.

_'Big mistake.'_ Of course, it wasn't as if she would go all out against him either—he was an old man who used arthritis as an excuse to get away from judo practice. Not today though, interestingly enough.

"It's gotta be steroids," he moaned. She could tell that he was still a little unbalanced from the first two lightning-quick throws. Although she could still feel the burning fire of ambition inside him, it had begun to waver in fear.

This time, it was Kin who made the first move. It was well-planned, but she had thrust so hard that she was unused to her own strength, and she couldn't pull back in time. The wind was knocked out of her as she struck the ground—hard. Pushing away the pain, she focused on reversing the roles.

Then came a world of unbelievable agony. Her nerves burned with scorching white pain, dulling her other senses. Cursing loudly, she brought up her knee to her hands. _'My ankle...'_

Her eyes clouded by hot tears, she felt the soft caress on her ankle. A sudden realization came to her. _'Fukushi. The fight. The fall. Then I sprained my ankle.'_

"Don't move," a voice commanded calmly. The pain dulled misleadingly and then spiked again. Letting out a string of curse words no child should know, she banged her head on the mat.

**'Overconfidence. Carelessness. Nice going, Kin.'**

--The Next Day--

"Kin, are you going to finish your lunch?" The nagging voice of her mother made her roll her eyes. She knew it was disrespectful, but as of the moment she didn't really care.

"No, I'm done." She pushed out of her chair and limped as she lifted her dishes to the sink.

"Onii-chan!" Kin called as she watched her brother sprint past her. "Where are you going?"

"Did you forget? It's the Kantou preliminaries for Seigaku today," he answered solemnly, preparing his tennis bag. She gasped. So much had happened recently that her mind had completely forgotten about Seigaku.

"Hold on! Hold on, I have to come!" Half-limping, she grabbed her sneakers and her watch. "I am _so_ coming."

He blinked, surprised. "I thought you weren't interested. You never came to any of my earlier games."

"Yeah, yeah," she replied hastily, her insides flaring. "That's because they were against weak people. This is against Hyotei Gakuen, right? That ridiculously bratty school?"

"Well then. Suit yourself," he replied, surprisingly smug. He opened the door halfway, and then stopped, giving her an ambivalent look.

"Don't let your guard down." The moment was surprisingly comical, as a growing vein appeared on her forehead.

A flare of irritation exploded inside her. "I should be saying that to you! We don't have time for lectures because you have a nemesis to defeat, Atobe Keigo. Teach that brat the true meaning of the Tezuka name." If he was disapproving of her disrespectfulness, he didn't show it, only a slight amusement as he raised his chin.

"All right! Judo is too violent for me, so tennis is the way to go!"

**'W-w-wait. Hold on a sec. Isn't that statement a little... contradictory from the beginning of the chapter?'**

Sorry, I'm ending it here. The last chapter's pretty long, and there's an epilogue, and that's it. That is, if I don't write a sequel. (Which... I probably will.) This chapter took forever because I kept procrastinating the research for judo. I didn't know how to describe judo, because I'm not very familiar with it at all and I suck at action scenes--I tried my best at least, so sorry if it's not accurate.


	25. Unforgivable

Chapter 25: Unforgivable

**Inner Kin: How rude, you little brat.**

**Inner Taro: Hey I didn't do a thing. All I did was eat cake.**

**Inner Kin: (smacks) Yeah, my cake!**

**Inner Taro: … Is this chapter even about cake?-.-'**

**Inner Kin (takes another slice): Of course not. Use your head. Why write about cake when she is clearly writing of something more important… Hey this is good cake.**

**InnerTaro: -.-U**

Tezuka Kin's head was ready to burst. She had never experienced such an intense atmosphere before. Nothing compared to the crispness of sheet-white and navy-blue tennis jackets, the fresh scent of new rubber-cored tennis balls, the sour taste of intimidation, the uniform cheers for victory, and most of all, a giddy euphoria that consumed her heart and soul.

She had never seen a professional spectator sport before, so the gravity and energy of the ambiance intoxicated her. Before today, every time she had approached the playing court, her mind had always been concentrated on petty strategies and fusses—if Tashiro's grip tape would fall off, if Fukushi had remembered to bring the water bottles, even if Suzuki had mistaken the date. Her body had always been tense, her mind and tongue busy, and she had never been able to fully let go and enjoy herself.

This time, it was different. Next to her brother, she was ashamed to realize that she had brought no banners or headbands, as did the rest of Seigaku's fan club. Her heart dropping like a stone, she averted her sight to the opposing crowd. It seemed like every member of Hyotei's tennis club was present, as well as the cheerleading squad and Atobe's entourage of fangirls—as well as fanboys. Their every movement glowed with radiant confidence, their eyes retaining an inherent snobbiness. Their thunderous, choreographed cheers drowned out Seigaku's own pipsqueak mantra, making Kin's heart drop in despair. _'How can Seigaku hope to win against such a powerful opponent? Knowing how filthy rich they are, they probably even bribed the referees.'_

She wanted to scream for Seigaku at the top of her lungs, but her mouth was dry and her tongue refused to form words. _'Who do they think they are kidding? Seigaku is no more prepared to face Hyotei than Ginka.' _She clenched and unclenched her fists, and wished that she wasn't here to witness Seigaku's demise. To her surprise, she felt a hand on her shoulder.

"Relax," her brother's familiar voice urged, and she nodded, heaving a deep sigh. Despite his stoic, unaffected expression, she could see his fierce determination burn through his dark eyes. For a moment, she stared at him in sheer amazement at his composure. Suddenly, a flare of fury burned inside her, and she wanted to shake him awake. This was _Hyotei_, the most prestigious middle school in the entire Tokyo district, maybe in all of Japan. She didn't understand how he could just _stand_ there, watching patiently, like as if he was overseeing another drill or lap. She waited for a bead of sweat, a jittery movement—_anything_ to prove that he understood the significance of this day.

Yet, nowhere in his appearance did he show the slightest nervousness or hesitation. He glowered of unblemished confidence and supremacy. That moment, he seemed as alien as another unrecognizable face in the crowd, a thousand miles distant. Lowering her gaze, she smiled forlornly as she stared at feet. _'That's right. This is onii-chan. Unlike me, 'nii-chan has never experienced failure. 'Nii-chan will not lose here. Not today.' _She clenched her teeth. _'Not _ever_.'_

The booms of the numerous speakers echoed loudly, and Kin felt her gaze harden. "The match between Hyotei Gakuen and Seishun Gakuen will now begin." She could see the tension in the faces of every spectator. They had anticipated this moment for weeks. "First match: members of Doubles Two, please enter the court."

-Two Hours Later-

"Seigaku wins, six games to one!" Sharing the coach's bench with Echizen, Kin nearly laughed because of the irony. She really was a disgrace. Despite the horrible atmosphere, each one of them played with no regrets. It was all because of her brother. Tezuka had trained them; Tezuka had nurtured them. A pang of nostalgia crossed her heart. There were hints that Ginka had once been like this too.

Behind her, Yuuta was cheering wildly, grinning from ear to ear. Seeing his ecstatic reaction, Kin smiled inwardly, happy that even though Yuuta attempted to act tough and cool around his older brother, Yuuta really did love him.

"Hmph, that's my aniki for you," Yuuta smirked, walking up to grip his brother in a fiercef bear hug. _'I couldn't even _believe_ in the strength of others. Even mute and blind people can do that. What kind of failure as a vice-captain was I?'_ Rising from her seat, she approached Fuji, plastering a forced smile on her face.

"You're scary, Fuji-kun," she teased, "or did this all have to do with Yuuta?" Fuji's smile didn't waver at her implication.

"Likewise, Kin-san," he responded diligently.

"What did you mean this has to do with me?" Yuuta demanded. _'He hasn't realized that Syusuke-kun was only serious because Jirou had hurt Yuuta's feelings so badly during his defeat. When my brother cares about me that much, it'll be the end of the world.'_

"Oh, don't worry about it," Fuji said carefully. "It's not a big deal." He ruffled Yuuta's hair endearingly, and Yuuta grimaced in annoyance.

From nearby, their lovely sister Yumiko laughed at the sight. Nostalgically, Kin recalled about all the time she had spent with the Fuji family ever since the first time she had played Yuuta. It seemed like years had passed, not weeks. Those times had been much more memorable and eventful than the silent time spent with her "incredibly loquacious" brother, but occasionally—like she did now—she felt like she was trespassing into memories she did not belong.

When she looked up, she was alarmed to see a familiar pair of cold emerald eyes glaring down from above. She could make out three figures wearing their gold and black uniforms. _'Rikkai.' _Her eyes sharpened. That wasn't all. The tennis regulars of Yamabuki and Rokkaku were also here. She smiled.

The whole world had come to watch Tezuka.

Oddly enough, as she was glancing around, she saw no trace of the tennis prodigy. She guessed that he was warming up.

"Fidgety much?" Echizen taunted. She glared at him. He didn't back down.

"Oi, just because we're sharing the coach's bench doesn't mean you're better than me," she argued, resisting the urge to kick him somewhere painfully. They continued their sarcastic comments as they fought over control of the bench with sharp glares. As Tezuka appeared in view, they immediately froze.

"'Nii-chan," she challenged, handing him his water bottle, "crush them." It may have just been her imagination, but she saw the tiniest trace of a smile on his lips as his eyes glossed over her and rested on his racket.

"Idiot," Echizen muttered. "He doesn't need you to tell him that." A vein appeared on her forehead.

"You're one to talk, chibi." She tilted her head up derisively.

"You'll never understand." He lowered his cap. She barely suppressed the urge to retort back, but this conversation could continue later. The final match was ready to begin.

"Katsu no wa Hyotei, makeru no Seigaku! _The winner will be Hyotei, the loser will be Seigaku!_ Katsu no wa Hyotei, makeru no Seigaku!"

_'No. I can't let my faith waver now.'_ She stared straight ahead, unflinching. Even though she believed in Seigaku with every fiber of her being, a queasy feeling entered her stomach or something in her that didn't settle comfortably with the ending of the last match.

"Shou sha wa Atobe, haisha wa Tezuka! _The winner will be Atobe, the loser will be Tezuka!_ Shou sha wa Atobe, haisha wa Tezuka!"

Every eye on the court was fixated on Atobe. He possessed the signs of classical beauty—a curve of lip, a lift of brow, a grace of movement. He was enchanting. He was exotic. He was the epitome of perfection. He was a magician: a master of hypnotism one moment, a doll of charisma the next.

She loved him—everyone in the crowd did, willingly or not—and she hated herself for it. Her eyes were glued to his every movement. His eyes seemed to pick her gaze out from the crowd, his lips half smiling tantalizingly in amusement.

"Shou sha wa Atobe, haisha wa Tezuka. The winner will be-"

Snap.

A deafening silence permeated the air and a chill ran up her back. The boy was a master of manipulation. His mesmerizing eyes held a level of undefinable intensity, and he moved with a finesse that seemed far surpassed his years.

"—Ore-sama."

She heard a condescending snort from the young tennis prodigy next to her, and she was amazed that he didn't seem to be bothered by Atobe at all. _'How can he have such composure? Isn't he worried?'_ When he noticed that she was staring at him wide-eyed, he simply lowered the visor of his cap.

A surge of irritation surged in her gut. _'How can Echizen show off that laid-back attitude of his now, of all times? Does he just not care about the outcome of this match because he's not going to playing?'_

Only when Atobe won the first point did she realized she was drenched in a layer of cold sweat—with a sick premonition welling in her stomach.

"Ore-sama no bigi ni yoi na," he called, his words ringing clearly throughout the entire court and triggering a series of love-struck confessions and hopeful shouts. The Hyotei spirit had been redeemed. The match was on.

Atobe had won the first point. It was decidedly unlike the Seigaku captain. She wondered when it was the last time her brother had faced such a worthy opponent. She smiled when her eyes met with Echizen's. They were thinking the exact same thing.

_'Tezuka Zone.'_

Tezuka's foot swerved as the ball curved to meet his racket, but Kin felt slightly uneasy. _'To think that Atobe forced him to reveal his signature technique on the second point.'_ Unlike the previous game, both of them were giving their all from the very beginning.

"You're doing well, Tezuka... with that arm of yours," Atobe scowled, his hand placed between his dilated pupils. Both Echizen and Kin were visibly jolted.

"What arm? What's he talking about?"

Atobe's lips curled in disdain. "Your left arm is injured. Neh, Tezuka?"

"No, Tezuka's elbow is already healed," Oishi intervened, his body betraying his worry.

"I see. So it's the elbow," Atobe smirked.

"Is that for real, Oishi-senpai?" Echizen exclaimed. _'So perhaps this chibi can get worked up after all.'_

Oishi collapsed on the bench, while the other Seigaku regulars stared at him in shock. "Tezuka's elbow was actually broken until recently. I'm sorry, but he told me not to say anything. I guess he didn't want everyone to worry while we aimed for the national tournament." He looked down, a lump forming in his throat. "About two years ago, when Tezuka first entered middle school, he was already stronger than all of the third-year senpai." Kin remembered. Even though she was only a little kid, she still remembered the ephemeral joy that transformed her brother's face when he discovered his life-long love: tennis. It was very, very subtle, but she discerned it, clear as day. When Oishi finished the story about Tezuka's ambition and the broken arm, Kin could only stare, shocked.

"He said that tennis rackets are not for injuring people. It's true that at the time, the pain went away quickly and everyone thought there was no lasting damage, normally at least. It was around the fall of last year that he started having problems with his arm. Anyway, Tezuka's practice load is not easy with all the hard training everyday and that zero-shiki drop shot. Because of that, the strain on his muscles was more than twice that of anyone else. And then, combined with that old injury, his arm was completely injured. Before, it was to the point where he couldn't play tennis anymore." Kin was no less amazed as the rest of the team, who continued to bicker. _'Leading a team while deceiving them. How unlike 'nii-chan.'_ Then she almost chuckled. _'Not like I'm one to talk, but at least my teammates probably figured it out a long time ago.'_

"Don't worry. That purple-haired freak just keeps quacking because he's insecure. He's all bark and no bite. If he was so certain of 'nii-chan's weakness, he wouldn't be openly asserting it. He's looking for assurance from us. Breaking us down psychologically," Kin grumbled, her eyes heavy with wonder. "Those two... I was wrong. They didn't give it their all since the beginning of the match. They've been giving it their all for the past few years."

As the crowd fussed over the new revelation, her eyes caught it. The Zero-Shiki.

Everyone exclaimed in wonder, their eyes gaping like they had never seen a tennis ball. "You see? 'Nii-chan's only getting warmed up."

"Don't hold back, Atobe. Come with everything you have," her older brother challenged. Atobe's eyelids fluttered. _He_ was being taunted now?

"Game to Seigaku, one game to love!" Seigaku burst into cheers, but Kin knew better.

The game continued, disappointing no one. To almost all of the eyes in the crowd, none of them had a clue how it felt to be one of the two players. Yet, to Kin, she knew. She knew the instinct of shuffling feet, the sweat drenching the grip tape, every nerve and muscle in the body working in perfect harmony.

They were beautiful.

Creatures of flesh and blood tuned to perfection after years and years of training, transcending the laws of gravity and reality. They were dancing to a silent melody, back and forth, controlling a rhythm only they could feel, inside their souls. Every nerve and muscle was perfectly coordinated with the rest of the body, forming movements more fluid and perfect than humanly possible. It was as if their entire lives had only been preparation for this single match. Their impulses and movement conveyed inimitable messages, leaving words as superfluous distractions.

It was every bit a psychological battle as it was a physical one. They challenged each other mentally, taunting each other to make each other lose focus. They were also fighting internal battles against themselves. Against the doubt of their own abilities, against their obligation to lead and win as captains, but most of all, against the guilt and regret that would plague them forever if they gave anything short of their best.

Even though they had been playing for an hour and a half, none of their movement showed any indication of pressure or fatigue. Tezuka Kunimitsu was amazing, doing far better than anything she would have ever imagined in her wildest dreams. Seeing them so close before her eyes, she doubted that she would ever see something as memorable and beautiful as the sight before her. She didn't know whether to weep in joy or sorrow.

"What is wrong with you?" Echizen muttered as he watched her sniffle and bury her face in her hands.

"You'll never understand," she said, repeating his own words. He stared at her for a moment—really _looked_ at her—then sighed exasperatedly and focused on the game once more.

She had forgotten. This was a Singles One battle. They proved what lay at the naked core of tennis. Tennis was not just fancy bluffs or feints. Not a simple-minded war of sheer will and force. Not strength gained from hours of manly bonding. Not even genius, ridiculous techniques with equally genius and ridiculous names.

This match had completely redefined her meaning of tennis.

"40-love. Seigaku serves."

Kin closed her eyes to prevent the tears from spilling out her eyes. This was the last point. One more point, and the match would be completely over. It was Tezuka's win—no, Seigaku's victory. Another untarnished success in a streak of endless triumphs. Her lip was trembling in pride and excitement. Her heart was ready to burst out of her chest. She wanted to wrap her arms around her brother's neck and scream like she never screamed before. They would go feasting the next day to commemorate their success, and she would give a perfectly detailed, marvelous account of every lob, every backhand, every smash. She would brag so hard and so long that her brother would be ready to die from embarrassment in his seat.

Just.

One.

More.

Point.

Yet, a tiny part of her consciousness knew the truth. **'This match is far from over.'**

A scream of pain escaped his lips. Kin snapped her eyes open immediately. Tezuka was kneeling now, his teeth biting his lip in agony, clutching his shoulder.

"Tezuka-buchou!" On instinct, the entire Seigaku team rushed to his side, but he screamed something to hold them back. His lips moved in slow motion, like a movie on rewind. Her mind never registered what he said. Her mouth was open, but it never managed to whisper what she wanted to say. _'No... no. No. No. No.'_

Her reality was shattered. As he lifted himself from the ground, the effort he expended was visible, even in such a thoughtless action. As he sat next to Echizen, she could feel everything: how every limb in his body felt a thousand times heavier than lead, how haggard and strenuous each inhalation and exhalation had become, how every inch of his skin dripped with salty sweat, how his mind could barely function, desperately clinging to the image of Seigaku's victory.

Her mind came to a standstill. Her vision projected images of a tired middle school tennis captain, who looked far older than his years, being advised by his teammates to prioritize his own health above one win in a junior high tournament. She did not recognize the exhausted face, drenched in sweat. She did not recognize this injured, stubborn child rubbing his shoulder.

As he rose from the seat, her heart was no longer existent. His hand was clutching his tennis racket, as always, but something was amiss. His grip had moved slightly to relieve some pressure on his shoulder. His concentrated eyes were still hazy in memory of the excruciating pain. She realized that once again, in a long, long array of mistakes, that she was wrong.

He was not perfect. He was just as human as every other person on this earth, and just as prone to mistakes. His flawless, calm face was simply an illusion to hide this sad truth.

Everything became blurry again. Right crashed onto wrong. Strength blended into weakness. Beauty unveiled into ugliness. From that moment on, nothing was definite anymore. The threads of delineation that weaved her life together slowly unraveled, and eventually shattered en masse into a heap of chaos.

**'Watch and learn, Tezuka Kin.' **As much as she wanted to believe the voice in her conscience, she knew that the match's outcome had already been decided. In that moment, something deep inside her was lost forever.

Tezuka Kunimitsu, her older brother, had been entirely and utterly defeated.

-In the Evening-

"Kin-chan..." Taro muttered under his breath, his heart heavy with worry. "What are you going to do now?" From the corner of the brick building, he peeked to see Kin's shady figure with a tennis racket under her arm. She was walking leisurely, a baseball cap covering her eyes. Ever since Tezuka had lost the match, she hadn't said a single word. There was one mysterious incident when she had disappeared and slipped away, only to reappear again with a hardened look in her eyes. Whenever people said something, she had pretended not to hear. Or she really didn't hear them in the first place. Taro couldn't tell.

He dashed, tiptoeing as quickly as he could towards the shadow of a tree. He knew how profoundly her brother's loss had struck her, and how the match today was so important. _'Kin-chan, I'm worried about you. What's happened to you?'_

As he followed her diligently, covering up his tracks, he realized where she was going. _'A tennis court. But why?' _Suddenly, his stomach rumbled noisily. He froze in mid-step, praying that she hadn't heard it. After a few moments, when he realized Kin's head wasn't going to pop from the corner of the street to investigate, he nearly sighed in relief. He hadn't eaten dinner yet. He had lied to his mother that he was going to eat dinner with Kin's family, but he had no idea what Kin planning. _'What am I doing? Stalking her? Have I really fallen so low?'_ He felt lost, confused. He didn't understand anymore. He didn't understand this alien girl he was following, this silent girl with intense, vengeful eyes. For some reason, instinct told him to push on, to pursue her. Hopelessly, his legs moved on their own.

When she reached the tennis courts, she entered the steel fence and sat down, her arm protectively holding the covered tennis racket. After detecting absolutely no movement from her for a few minutes, he exhaled and collapsed... and waited.

-An Hour Later-

Her head tilted at the sound of approaching footsteps. She rose to her feet as the man walked to the opposite side of the tennis court.

"I apologize. It was difficult to get away from my teammates and fangirls without them noticing," the princely voice justified himself. She lifted her ice-cold blue eyes to stare at his gray, visibly shocked eyes. She was not the least amused.

"I don't want to listen to your excuses all day." Her every syllable dripped with venom, and Atobe's secure smile immediately faltered. No one had talked to him like that in a long, long time. "One set match." Atobe sighed, hoping that this would take no time at all. He had better things to do than play a vengeful greenhorn player. She unzipped the cover of her tennis racket, her fingertips caressing the familiar undulation of the strings. Atobe's dilated pupils immediately betrayed his surprise.

"That's right, Atobe. This racket has my brother's sweat, tears and blood on it. With this, I'm going to kick your ass." Her lip curled derisively. "Oh, I'm sorry, was my language too strong for you, Atobe-_sama_? Perhaps you didn't understand. On this day, I..." She tossed the ball in the air. He was in ready stance, his eyes fixed on the ball.

"Will..." She jumped, the muscles in her knees and legs propelling her light body into the air.

"Break..." Her entire upper body swerved back, the muscles in her back flexing with controlled power.

"You!" The impact of the tennis ball on the racket resonated through the fence and street, its echoes replaying over and over like a broken record. Her entire body swerved forward like one immense, elastic spring. Before her feet reached the ground, the yellow ball had already scraped Atobe's high cheekbones and was spinning as it penetrated the chain-link fence. Atobe glanced behind him, his pupils fully narrowed. The ball rolled back after bouncing off a brick wall. Its rough nylon edges had already frayed off. _'Was that a fluke? Or... it doesn't matter. She won't get lucky on the next point.'_

She didn't wait for him to recover. She tossed the ball again, leaped and swung again using her entire body. A sharp pain stung his cheek again, and he realized that the new cut was one centimeter above her first cut. None of these scrapes were accidental, not with her pinpoint precision. _'It's unbelievable that this girl, two years younger than me, has won the first two consecutive points. The next point, I'll be ready. It's impossible that her serve is faster than Ohtori's Scud Serve.' _His knees were bent, his eyes focused on her every movement, and he was determined to never back down.

She glared at him.

A glare of undiluted hatred.

As she jumped, he was prepared to return it immediately. This time, however, it was a regular serve. Amazed, he hit it a straight shot. Too late. She was already at the net. _'She's fast!'_ She smashed the ball in the far corner. This was impossible. If she won another point, then it would be a love game—when was the last time that happened? He couldn't remember. Atobe wiped a bead of sweat from his brow. He could barely remember the last time that had happened. He refused to underestimate her. He would turn this game around.

The ball was tossed. Her legs sprung. Atobe's eyes and legs moved on instinct. The ball hit the net, spinning with so much raw power that Atobe thought the strings would snap. But the ball rolled down, as if relenting in fatigue. _'Fault. Is she playing mind games with me?'_ His lips curled in amusement. The fault was no accident. This girl was far, far beyond his expectations. She had humiliated him and forced him to betray his visible nervousness.

_'There it is, the jumping kick serve.' _All of her serves had targeted his body, since those areas were the hardest to return. In the split second the ball hit the pavement, Atobe ducked his head and prepared to hit it above his face. But his eyes had betrayed him. The ball rose slightly from the ground and immediately dropped. Bouncing, it stopped at Atobe's ankle. _'A drop serve? Is there such a thing?'_

Her entire body radiated murderous anger even though she had won a perfect game. He blinked in mild confusion. Her lower lip trembled, her glossy eyes penetrating his disconcerted gaze. As they passed the right side of the net to change courts, she mumbled under her breath, "What the hell do you think you're doing?"

Her voice was dangerous. Low. "Do you think you're doing me a favor by going easy on me? Pitying me, maybe?" Each word, consumed by disgust, was forced out of her gritted teeth.

Her composure burst. "Where's the person who forced my brother to his knees?! The captain who forced my brother to sacrifice his shoulder?!" She was shouting uncontrollably now, her slim body shaking from the effort. Her hand was clutching the racket so hard that her knuckles were white. "How could he lose to _you_, the king of narcissism cowering in fear?" Atobe noticed bitter tears swelling in her deep-set eyes, which contained a nearly inhuman level of condemnation and fury.

Then he understood. She wasn't challenge him for revenge. She was testing him. She wanted proof to show that he deserved his victory against Tezuka. She wanted to experience firsthand a match against him to gain even the slightest understanding of why her brother lost.

"Tennis rackets are not for injuring people. Have you no shame? Is that flashy appearance simply anillusion of dignity? How can you destroy your opponent's shoulder and still walk away smiling? You're... _unforgivable_."

He had to admit it, this girl was blunt. His conscious had already echoed the truth of her words, but he refused to acknowledge the heaviness in his chest. What was that—shame? It couldn't be. _'It's been a long time since ore-sama's ego has been scratched. Very well, since you asked for it, you are going to pay for those words.'_

Only the slight twitch of his left eyebrow betrayed the irritation bubbling inside him. It was more than just the reality of her words. More than just realization. He closed his eyes for a second to regain his composure. He knew what the lingering feeling of sickness in his chest was now. Regret. Self-disgust. When her older brother had brought out the worst in Atobe's obstinacy, this girl had forced him to come to terms with his emotions buried beneath the layers and layers of egotism. _'What a fearful family the Tezuka are.'_

"Enough lecturing. Resume the match," he snapped, holding the ball next to the racket in preparation for a serve. Kin readied her stance. Her eyes sharpened like daggers, her pupils dilated with a deathly concentration.

All eyes were on the ball, suspended above Atobe's outreached palm. Time froze. In that moment, she could make out the black ink of _Penn_ and each fuzzy yellow hair. Suddenly, time accelerated by multitudes.

At the speed of light, the ball struck near her left ankle. The impact resonated in her ears heavily, and everything else was history. The synapses from her eyes to her brain to every nerve in her body, reacted simultaneously. She screamed in defiance when she slammed her brother's racket into the ball. Like she had expected, the resistance she encountered was remarkable.

But manageable. The return shot was a powerful ace. It aimed for the opposite corner, and barely scratched within the white line. She was breathing heavily now, and it was only after a single return. Perhaps if she hadn't been blowing a gasket earlier, she wouldn't be gasping for air now. _'Chikusho, more serves like that and I won't last long,'_ Kin realized in revelation.

Returning the favor, Atobe didn't wait for her to recuperate. The second shot was more merciless than the first. _'He was holding back the first time, damn it!' _She managed to return it, but it was a weak net ball. If Atobe was careful, the point was over.

He was. A drop shot rolled towards her ankle. "Know your place." His gray eyes were radiating confidence again. "Brat." She wiped her brow. Apparently the two bleeding cuts on his cheek weren't enough. The thought of permanent damage to his gorgeous supermodel face invigorated her limbs. _'Sorry, Atobe, but this game is _mine_.' _

Her eyes were fixated. The perfect angle and speed maximized the spin Atobe gave her... she could see it. _'Can you feel it, Sato Jiro-san? The eternization of your legacy?' _The slice passed in the blink of an eye.

The ball sliced through the air and bounced surprisingly low and to his right. He cursed as the ball hit the rim of his racket and fell from the net. Her sheer control of such an extreme backspin amazed him. The technique felt familiar. Perhaps it was similar to Tezuka Zone? Genetics probably had something to do with it.

"Watch your mouth," she warned, "and that pretty face of yours." He gave a genuine smirk and wiped a trail of blood from his cheek.

Then he pointed towards his face. "Try and get me. You won't be touching this." The next serve was different than the two before. It was precise and calculated. But so was her return. They both aimed for corners, but for Kin, rallies were foreshadows of losing battles. Simple reality proved that she could not compete with the raw strength and speed of a man, especially one two years older than her. The only tools she possessed were the wisdom of a dead man sixty years prior and the drills from her own observation. She had no formal coaching. No equipment worth thousands of dollars. No prestige beyond her own teammates.

Only the ragged sheets of heart-filled calligraphy, and her own iron resolve to never bend in defeat.

The rally was hers. It _had _to be hers. She simply would not allow anything else. She smacked the ball in a heavy groundstroke even though she knew she was just procrastinating her inevitable defeat She had won the rally, but lost the game.

"Now we're even," he declared as he sauntered to the other side. She had collapsed onto her knees with exhaustion, and grudgingly discarded her body's screaming need for rest. Like her brother, she was an advantage server, after all. This time, however, she couldn't use her jumping kick serve. She didn't have the strength to keep the ball slightly above the net and at an unreturnable rate. If the ball wasn't hit with extremes, the serve would be a waste of stamina.

Her puny body was a burden. She saw everything in her mind's eye. Everything needed for the sake of victory. But her lungs never generated enough oxygen. Her muscles were never agile enough to move the way she visualized it idealistically.

Furiously, she dove for the ball. She knew it was a lost cause, and yet... _why did she bother? _She grunted as she smacked the ground. If only she was born a boy. If so, maybe she wouldn't be this slow. This weak. This fragile. She was helpless in the genes that controlled her, that built her identity. _'Why was I born the girl, damn fit? I can only return weak shots now, and whine about what can't be changed. Why am I so goddamn PATHETIC?!'_

In the end, she had forfeited her service game. Atobe now had the advantage with two games, and she only won one. Soon that would be four. Five. Ten. Infinity. Her complete annihilation, and she could only cling to the first game she won. A lucky fluke. Or perhaps a generous pity present from Atobe.

"Ore-sama will generously allow you to forfeit because ore-sama has other matters to attend to," he hastened, annoyance dabbling in the edges of his voice as he placed his racket on his right shoulder. In the end, this girl could not hold up her challenge.

Kin licked her lips. To her amazement, the salt didn't just come from the sweat. She touched her cheek.

Tears.

_'How long have I been crying?'_ It beyond her comprehension why the involuntary flow of tears refused to stop. It was ridiculous. She was wasting precious water and dehydrating herself. _'What is wrong with me?'_

She rose and dusted her pants. Not meeting his gaze, she sauntered deliberately slowly to the opposite side. Why had she challenged Atobe after all, when she knew deep inside that the match was lost? Was it really just a rash, spontaneous decision or was it something more?

Every fiber of her being clung to desire. A desperate need to avenge her brother. To pour her reason for existence into a match she would never regret. But that was a whimsical dream. Nothing was going to be accomplished now, just like she had proven nothing in her life so far.

She looked at her palm. Her rough calluses were bleeding. The tape grip had imprints of her grip and dried blood. Yet, it was a good sort of pain. The sensation was hard to describe. It made her feel alive. Tangible. Mortal. Like she was putting her blood into something meaningful. She licked the blood off. It almost tasted sweet. She just needed... more.

**'What are you talking about? You have everything you need.'** A shrill laugh escaped her wry lips. "Do you still remember what I told you at the beginning of the match?" The ball was levitated before her eyes in the perfect position. "I don't waste words... I meant it quite literally." She collapsed to one knee with the double-edged rising shot.

Her hit, this time, was completely different than before. _'She's aiming for my left knee?' _He was forced into a half volley. She was at the net, her lips licking in a circle.

Each vein her eye... was bloodshot. Her pupils were completely contracted, and Atobe could see the pulsing of hot red blood.

Before Atobe could realize anything, a gasp escaped his lips. He collapsed to the ground, clutching his left knee. Delirious pain spiked through his body, and for a moment he couldn't think. Couldn't move. He gasped for breath, and forced himself to calm down. _'I'm... alright. She just smashed the ball into my knee, that's all.' _To his amazement, he had to restrain himself from using commoner curses that was decidedly leagues below him. As he rose, ignoring the intermittent spasms of pain from his knee, his feet were cut off below him.

Fear.

He could not mistake her aura of murderous intent. The red veins in her eyes popped in malicious delight. Blood dripped from her tennis handle. But she was oblivious to it all. All that mattered was the perfect construction of his hell.

His serve was awkward.

She licked her lips. This time, she aimed for his right cheek. Dodging it caused a dagger to stab his knee. Service aces were impossible now. Avoiding the ball from hitting him took all the effort he had, and no matter how hard or how quickly he hit the ball, the return would always aim towards his vulnerable areas. The ball came at such irregular angles that reminded him of Kaidoh's Snake, but this was more deadly. More malevolent. Tantalizing, almost, as if she was only playing a game of cat and mouse.

He was trapped and helpless before the sinuous weaving of her plans. Even though the sides of the court was spattered with her blood, she gave no indication of caring. If anything, it propelled her will further. This girl—she would bring him down with her, even if the effort _killed_ her.

_'Monster.'_

"STOP IT! Kin-chan, please." Taro could no longer restrain himself. He could no longer watch helplessly in horror from aside. He ran out into the open, glowering in shame at his hiding spot. His breath was uneven with nervousness, but his eyes—they were terrified. The horror inside the void of his heart consumed him. His reality was shattered.

"What are you doing? Kin-chan, look at me!" Her icy eyes with a ring of blood red remained fixated on Atobe's like she was savoring every drop of his blood. She gave no indication of hearing Taro. He was invisible to her. In her reality, only the court existed. She tossed the bloody ball again, her legs propelling from the ground...

Atobe had lobbed the ball, and he immediately cursed. His vision was blurry from strenuous pain and effort.

Taro knew what was going to happen. The smash. The ultimate technique. Being a girl, Kin always had remarkable flexibility, but she didn't have the speed or strength to propel that into an unorthodox style when playing with boys. There was one technique, however, that she was forbidden to use. She had sealed it herself, deeming it too much of a stress on her own body. The final move that would end both of Atobe's and Kin's careers.

His eyes were glued to bloodshot ones. She gave no indication of his presence. Was his mouth really open? Or was the scream from his throat just an illusion of his conscious? Her lips were curled like the Devil's, who was returning to a blood fest that had lasted millenniums.

He searched for any hint, even the smallest, that the monster standing before him was the girl whom he loved, his adorable best friend with whom he grew up with. Was she really the one who stayed up past midnight, drooling at her failed math homework? Where was the girl who was proclaimed the Heart of Ginka? Who was this... this beast who had molded into her skin and soul?

Blood was everywhere. It was all over the court. The ball left a trail of blood. It lined her fingers like a lace glove. It soaked her socks. Her _sock_! He had completely forgotten. Judo. Her match with Shima-jiichan. Her sprained ankle. If she were to use the forbidden smash, her entire leg might be sacrificed.

He wanted to wake up from this feverish nightmare, but reality was just too real. Kin-chan, as he had known her his entire life, was replaced by this unrecognizable murderous monster. It sounded too ridiculous. Like a set from a Hollywood horror film. Or the dramatization of an anime where she would peel off the mask, hold out a peace sign, and tease, "Did I scare you?"

Her knees bent and she went flying. Her body curved like a sinuous whip, her racket and upper body tilting back with unbelievable flexibility.

Their fates came down to this last point.

Taro ran. He was screaming as he ran, but his ears recognized nothing except for the swish of her body through the air. He was a coward. He always had been, nothing more, nothing less. He was too cowardly to prevent the rift in their relationship even as he could feel it gaping wider and wider. He was too cowardly to confess his love buried underneath years of hesitation. He simply watched on the sidelines, watching his life roll out of his grasp, and he did nothing. He wasn't like Kin, who took the reins of her own fate.

Yet somehow, he found himself screaming, his arms outreached in a protective stance, face-to-face with the devil disguised as Kin. He was a total idiot. There was no doubt of that, jumping in front of a smash that could snap his neck, break his spinal cord and end his life.

He had always dreamed that he would live a long, fulfilling life to a ripe old age. He had always imagined Kin at his side, whether she was a bride or just a friend. He had expected children, maybe grandchildren, filling up his house. The deck would be full, the smell of barbecued ribs tantalizing his nostrils. He would die in his sleep, surrounded by people he loved. In that moment, his future wavered.

The ball flew towards his face. He saw flashes of the future: his corpse with a cracked neck, a funeral with sobs and screams, but most of all, a broken Kin--a cracked soul who would never move on past this day, the very core of her being torn by guilt and shock. He couldn't stand this image of Kin. But he hated the monster before him even more. He didn't care what happened to himself, but he would die a thousand times over to prevent the girl he had always loved from losing herself.

The ball scraped his right cheek. Over and over, the scene played in his head. The sharp sting and the spurt of blood. Time was stuck, and it rewound and played over and over again.

He would remember her expression forever: her eyes wide in the horror of self-realization, her mouth agape in a wordless scream of regret, drops of her blood suspended in the air, defying physics and gravity.

The ball bounced behind him, the impact airless as it resounded inside them.

Her feet landed. A shriek of immeasurable agony pierced through the air. She doubled over on the ground, gasping for air and clutching her ankle. Before she knew what was happening, she felt a soft caress on her ankle. Someone had taken her shoe off.

"Damn, you were beating the shit out of me with _this_?" She did not notice when Atobe had gotten this close to her. Her sock was crusted in layers of blood. The ankle brace, given by her brother so many eternities ago, had snapped. She flinched from the random episodes of pain. It seemed like there was more than just torn ligaments and bone fractures. Her entire leg seemed pretty much screwed.

"Taro, you big IDIOT!" She bit back tears. "Jumping out like that. Were you trying to commit suicide or something?"

"I-I—" He was speechless. All he could do was stand there, agape, his fingers trailing the cut on his cheek.

She winced as Atobe removed the bloody sock, and cursed under her breath for getting herself into this huge mess. To her amazement, he was smiling in amusement.

"What did you say about how tennis rackets are not meant for hurting people?" he teased, his gray eyes containing an unusual gravity. Hearing his playful tone and his forgiving appearance, she couldn't contain it anymore. Her entire body _hurt._ Every breath made her chest heave in effort. Every limb was ready to explode from extreme overexertion. A waterfall of tears exploded from her eyes. Hot, bitter tears. She felt a soft hand brush away her tears, and was surprised to find the soft caress of her former best friend.

"I was supposed to be the first person to defeat 'nii-chan," she gasped between sniffs, her voice heavy with sarcastic acrimony. "For me, he was always like an unattainable goal. An invincible god in the horizon. He wasn't supposed to lose today." Atobe faced her with serious gray eyes, but she didn't return the gaze. "I thought that maybe... I don't know. Maybe I could prove myself that I was worth _something_ by defeating you, no matter what it took." She turned her face towards her blue-eye twin. "Aoki, you shouldn't have stopped me. You should've just let me—"

"Stop talking like that!" Taro clutched his hands in anger. "Stop talking like as if this only concerns yourself." She looked at Taro in surprise, her gaze broken.

"I see. You're right. I'm disgusting. So disgustingly selfish," her voice cracked, staring down at the tears on the bloody court. This was the same court where she had, beneath the stars so many lifetimes ago, promised to climb to the top of the world. _'Now look at me. Look at how that promise ended up.'_

"You have a family. You have friends. You have memories, but most of all, Kin-chan... you have a future." Taro's voice was barely audible, but his words were true. "Kin-chan, I—I-" _Fear you. Miss you. Love you._ Only playful twists of gibberish escaped his mouth. When it came down to it, Taro was a coward to the very end.

"Ah, Oshitari, you're here already? Yes, I'll be right on my way," Atobe said coolly to his cell phone, and then turned his attention back to Kin. "Ore-sama regrets injuring your brother, as well as yourself."

She scoffed. That was as much of an apology she was ever going to get. She scoffed. "Like I've run a marathon across Mount Fuji, fallen off of twenty ski lifts, and just got chased by a psycho with a chainsaw." At least she hadn't lost her sense of humor. "Actually, I wish I felt half that good."

He smirked, but a flicker of pain showed in his eyes. "Here, hold onto me."

"I can get myself to the hospital by myself, thank you very much. Besides, that knee of yours needs checking up on," she flushed, brushing him away when he put her arm around his neck. He replied by scooping her up gently, much to her amazement.

"It's against my principles to leave an injured young girl by herself," he justified, his normal narcissist edge returning to his voice. Her eyes sparkled with an odd mix of happiness, frustration and amusement, despite the pain spiking in every limb. In the weak, broken girl, he could not find a trace of the monstrosity he had come face-to-face with moments ago.

When he took a few steps, he grimaced in pain and nearly dropped her when a jolt of pain stabbed through his knee. _'Stupid.'_ She laid her head on his sweaty chest. Up close, she got a VIP view of his true beauty, beyond his lavender curls and mole to the leader inside. She understood now, why he controlled so many hearts of young men and women.

"Atobe-san?" she gasped hoarsely.

"Hm?" She felt her vision blacken. Her limbs no longer obeyed her. She managed to croak two words before she felt her consciousness drift to the stars.

"Thank you."

* * *

OMG I'M DONE I'M DONE I'M DONE!! I had envisioned this chapter ever since finishing chapter three, so it feels ridiculous to actually be finished with it. A part of me will never be satisfied with it, and I know there are parts that I forgot.

I am so sorry for releasing this chapter so late. You guys have no idea how much I struggled with this chapter. This is my third re-write, because not only was I dissatisfied with my writing, but because it didn't convey a depth of reality that I wanted. So I ended up revisiting the entire Hyotei vs. Seigaku arc, so it was a lot easier. The entire chapter must have taken me at least fifteen hours of writing and even more for editing. Crazy, no? Hopefully the final product was worth the wait.

So I changed some parts. I absolutely forgot Akutsu. Hyotei vs. Seigaku happened right after Ginka's forfeiture with Rikkaidai, not a day later. Sue me. After I'm done with the epilogue, I'm going to go and reedit the entire story. I don't know about rewriting it all, but definitely revisiting them.

I have to admit it, Kin displaying signs of sadomasochism even creeps me out. There's an epilogue, sure, but that's it, folks.

Lastly, but not least, a heartfelt thank-you to my fellow beta readers (I'm warning you, never get more than two beta readers):

Gold.paperclips for your generous comments.

Crazian for helping with keeping Yuuta IC and the beginning arguments.

Alolha to help boost Atobe's ego properly.

But most of all, Lieyan for being a steadfast friend and catching mistakes no one else caught.


	26. Epilogue

_Epilogue_

**Inner Taro: WAAAAHHHHHH! 'TIS THE LAST CHAPTER...**

**Inner Kin: The readers can read, you know. (hands tissue)  
**

**Inner Taro: Now I'm going to wallow in unrequited love for the rest of eternity... and what's even more heartless is that I'm not even in this chapter.**

**Inner Kin: -.-" All good things must come to an end.  
**

**Inner Taro: T.T**

"Hey, _I_ bought those carnations, so _I_ should be the one giving them to her.." Suzuki grabbed the bouquet from Tashiro's hands.

"You bought them with _my_ allowance. Get your hands off!" Tashiro retorted, holding them out of his teammate's reach. Suzuki jumped forward to seize the bouquet, and they had a moment of tug-o-war before the bouquet fell apart, the petals showering to the ground.

Fukushi sighed. "How could I have not seen this coming? Really, I amaze myself. How am I still _sane_ after being around you guys for so long?" He pushed open the door to Kin's hospital room. Sunlight poured from behind the white translucent curtains, bathing them in an ethereal light. Tucked in white hospital sheets, Kin focused her concentration on a small book in her hands. Her left leg was lifted with a bandage, encased in a hard white cast. As her gaze lifted to see the incoming Ginka regulars, her eyes widened with a combination of surprise, alarm, guilt and regret. But soon, it was replaced by a wide grin that stretched from ear to ear.

"It's this idiot Tashiro's fault!" Suzuki pointed an accusing thumb at a furious Tashiro.

"Oh yeah? How about I make carnations out of you?" Tashiro began to emit a murderous aura. To their amazement, Kin was laughing. Her vision was hazy with tears.

"You guys haven't changed at all." She choked back a sob. "But don't worry, I have plenty of bouquets to replace that one." She gestured towards the walls, which were lined with an impressive display of perennials that dwarfed Tashiro's puny carnations. "Ah, Doumoto, you've been released?"

"For a while now. Sorry to disappoint you, but you can't keep me away for long," he grinned broadly.

"Oh, you guys, I don't know what I can say or do to make up for how I treated you." Her voice nearly broke.

"Don't worry about it. We've all forgiven you. Neh, Fukushi-buchou?" Hiroki nudged the pouting captain.

"This was their idea, not mine," Fukushi snorted. "I just hope you get out of that ridiculous gown soon so we can play a game of doubles again."

"I'm sorry to disappoint you, Fukushi-senpai, but I don't think that's going to happen." She lowered her eyes, downcast. "I'm not going to come back to the tennis team. Actually, I plan not to pick up another racket in my life." Everyone gaped in disbelief.

"That's—that's a lie!" Fukushi slammed his palms on her bed. The mattress creaked. _"They_ might have forgiven you, but I haven't. The only way I would ever forgive you is if you beat me in a tennis match." His eyes glinted dangerously. "Of doubles."

Hiroki sighed and placed a hand on his outraged captain's shoulder. "What he means to say is that no matter what happens to you, you're still the Heart of Ginka. No matter what your decision is, we're here to support you all the way. Fukushi may never admit it, but he's had his share of guilt too. He's been practicing doubles ever since you guys fought, and for him, a doubles match would be his own redemption."

"Che." Fukushi crossed his arms, a slight blush rising in his cheeks.

"You all are really going to support me all the way?" Hope rose in her chest. "After everything that I've done to you?"

Kiyoshi poked her between her eyebrows. "Whether you like it or not, your decision's not just yours. All of our lives are intertwined, including your older brother's, your pathetic boyfriend's, even that arrogant brat Echizen's. You're a fool to think that your decisions only affect yourself."

Her eyes sparkled in realization at the truth. "You know what? You guys grew up when I was gone." She couldn't restrain her tears anymore. She gripped everyone's heads in a fierce bear hug with an iron grasp. "You guys are the best! I couldn't ask for more... I love you all."

"Platonically, right?"

"Of course, idiot. Don't flatter yourself."

"Who asked for your opinion?"

"You did!"

"Why you..."

"Come on, do we have to go through this every minute of our lives?

_'All right, so maybe not all of us grew up completely, but... I wouldn't have it any other way.'_

-In an Alternate Universe Far, Far Away-

Her fingers caressed the package gently. Inside was a microcosm of accomplishment, pain, memory and love. It was past time Kin had returned Sato's diary. Her notes were still scribbled in there, but there was no helping that. Now two hearts were secured in this thin album of paper and ink. With the help of the librarian, she had tracked down the address of Sato's granddaughter, scribbled in the front.

There was no return address. She didn't want it back. It was high time she let go of her past. **'You're going to regret this.'** Perhaps her conscience was right, but right now she didn't care.

"Hurry up, Kin, or else your brother's flight is going to leave without him," her mother called from the front seat.

"Coming!" Her fingers let go as it slid out of her grasp into the mailbox. Picking up her crutches, she wobbled hastily into the car seat. She slid to the seat next to her brother. "Let's go." She fastened her seat belt. As the car zoomed down the road, she felt the eerie sensation that her brother was staring at her.

"Kin, how tall are you now?"

She smirked and licked her lips. "174 centimeters."

"Hm."

"How tall are you?" Kin challenged.

"182 centimeters." Kin deadpanned. Her eyebrows furrowed in concentration _'That's all right... I still have two years. That would be, eighty-two minus seventy-four divided by four... Oh screw it, I was always hopeless at math.'_

"Four centimeters each year for the next two years."

"H-h-how did you..."

Kunimitsu turned his head to face the window to hide a small victorious smirk. She was too easy to read. That was why he never took her too seriously.

"Kunimitsu, isn't there something you need to tell your sister?" From the mirror, Kin could make out the tug on their mother's lips. _'Is she smirking?'_

"Hey, what are you guys keeping from me?" Her heart was pounding from curiosity.

"Your mother, your brother, your grandfather, Aoki's parents and I have all discussed this together, and we've decided that it's the best decision for you," her father explained from the steering wheel.

"Truth is that Atobe-san had filmed your entire match and shown it to me. During Atobe's match, many scouts had their eyes on me, but I refused their invitation," Kunimitsu began.

"What? Why?"

"Because there was one scout who also saw your match with Atobe, and believed in your potential. He's willing to take in both of us, after rehabilitation of course." His eyes were unreadable as usual, but what was that—_smugness_?

She blinked. A moment of silence descended upon the car, and everyone was tense, waiting for Kin's response. She pressed the rewind button in her mind.

"A SCOUT?! You mean a professional scout?" She was shouting at the top of her lungs into her brother's ear. "But I—I promised that I wouldn't pick up a racket again."

Kunimitsu frowned slightly. _'She may be saying that now, but it's in her blood. I knew it was going to end up like this since that first moment I saw her play with Echizen.'_

"This... this is some kind of sick joke, isn't it? Me, a _pro_?" she sneered, and she felt a lump growing in her throat. "You guys are _sick_, you know that?"

It wasn't exactly the reaction her parents were hoping for. "Honey, this isn't a joke. Far from it."

"Okay then, maybe it's a dream." She pinched herself. "Ow."

She pinched her brother's arm. A vein popped in his head. "What are you doing?"

"Okay, so it's not a dream." Then she was struck by a realization. "Wait, you guys talked to Taro's parents? So he knew about this before I did?"

"I'm sorry, but we weren't sure how you would react," her father explained. "Both of you are going to receive private tutors. Don't get your hopes up, Kin. I'll make sure that math doesn't get skipped."

Everything was happening too fast. One moment she had dropped off the book that encased the heart of her tennis, and now she was going to become a pro?

"I—I'm not ready for this. I'm just a typical thirteen-year-old loser who wallows herself in self-pity," she protested, stupefied.

"Far from it, Kin. The furthest from typical one could become," her brother disagreed. She was flabbergasted. Nothing was registering in her mind yet. She wasn't strong enough to become a tennis pro. Who was she kidding? The thought of playing women's singles at the Wimbledon or US Open was simply too incredulous to comprehend. She opened her mouth, but what could she say?

The car zoomed by Taro's house. Taro had always been there for her. He would always be her pillar. Flashes of Ginka Chuu passed her vision. Hiroki gave her a thumbs-up. A beat-up tennis racket was proffered from Fukushi's hand. Even her math teacher, Kikyo-sensei, gave a slight nod of approval. Yumiko, Syusuke and Yuuta were eating out at local restaurant. From a distant corner, Mizuki had his binoculars ready. The bloodshot eyes of Kirihara, who was dressed in Rikkai's captain jacket, penetrated her gaze. Atobe smirked as he annihilated his opponent, and she didn't wait to hear the words that came out of his mouth. Echizen was walking casually along a sidewalk, his racket tucked snugly under his arm. As their eyes met, he lowered the visor of his cap. _'Mada mada dane.'_ As the images passed her eyes, she found herself staring at her own dim reflection in the window. Inner Kin's eyes were sharpened in concentration, her arms crossed across her chest, and her tongue licked her lips. Hell, she _must_ be dreaming. She was hallucinating about her own conscience. Inner Kin's mouth opened, saying the last three words that were truer than truth.

**'****...Akebono no Owari...'**

-The End of the Beginning-

174 centimeters—5'7"

182 centimeters—5'10"

Bleh. All right. Not exactly what I had in mind. That ending was supposed to be the ending of the sequel, but since I won't be writing one, it was a completely impulsive decision to end it here. Hopefully, I won't regret it. I doubt I will.

I think I'm going to reedit the entire series, but I don't know about re-writing. There are so many plot holes and things that I completely forgot about: Yuuta and Kin winning a doubles match against Syusuke and Shiraishi, the ENTIRE Akutsu arc (can you say memory loss?), the entire part about neglected Yori, the entire Tezuka family going hiking, her grandfather giving a verbal beating out of Kunimitsu for his treatment of his sister, etc. There are so many little plot twists that I forgot, some because I'm too lazy to write them, others because I planned poorly (hey, I originally did plan a sequel.) There's also the problem of the fact that freshmen in the tennis club don't do more than fetch balls and practice swings (thank you so much for the reviewer who pointed that out.)

But the most important thing is, thank you everyone. (Perhaps only one out of three readers will be reading this A/N anyway.) Every single one of you, my readers, has my deepest gratitude. It's amazing to think that I published this story only slightly a year ago. If I had known that the anniversary was coming up, I would've published this directly on the one-year anniversary, but oh well. Thank you for joining me through the roller coaster of the confusing plot holes, the epic character arcs, and the parody-spawning histrionics. Now that I look back, my writing has really improved. There's also the miracle that this story has never been flamed. Sugoi, neh?

I have made so many inimitable memories. There are so many names I want to mention, but the most important one is Lieyan, or JAMES. She was the one who introduced to Prince of Tennis—hell, even fan fiction itself, and the one who saw the first drafts of Monster. Forgive me, JAMES, for being an anti-social jerk, but I really will miss you because we're going to separate high schools next year. Hopefully that won't weaken our friendship. (Insert friendship speech from Yu-Gi-Oh!) When you become famous, hey, don't forget your fan fiction buddy, neh? Neh, JAMES, I did finish this fic after all.

The main reason I'm not writing a sequel is because my heart is set to write other projects, so look forward to that as well. I plan to finish a Sai/Sasuke short series, salvage something readable out of The Bonds That Bind (my Eragon/Murtagh fic), write an epic Yu-Gi-Oh! Fic (SetoxOC and NoahxOC with the same OC, and I swear it's not completely horrible), this ridiculously difficult sci-fi plot that involves a post-apocalyptic virtual reality, a horror story about an innocent little girl with the ability to force very nasty, very gory suicides upon her enemies, and a fantasy series about a beautiful sacrifice to the water goddess. Of course, the latter three will be published on Fiction Press, perhaps as joint projects. There's always the problem of an autobiographical short story I'm going to enter in a local writing competition. Thank you for reading my ramble, because I have no idea why I'm writing this.

Remember Kin's words? _"You guys are the best! I couldn't ask for more... I love you all."_ Well, I turn them to you, because those words are truer than truth.


End file.
